Image accumulating apparatus, image accumulation support apparatus, image accumulation system, image control apparatus, image storage apparatus

ABSTRACT

An image storage system includes: an image storage apparatus; and a supporting apparatus. And the image storage apparatus includes an input unit to which image information is input, a first communication unit, a management unit that executes management so that the input image information is transmitted from the first communication unit in automatic response to an input of the image information to the input unit, an information holding unit that holds the input image information until a transmission thereof is completed and then automatically discards the input image information after the transmission is completed in response to the management unit, an information storage unit at which related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted is stored even after the transmission is completed, and an instruction unit that issues an instruction via the first communication unit with regard to processing to be executed on the image information based upon the related information stored at the information storage unit. On the other hand the supporting apparatus includes a second communication unit, an image storage unit at which the image information from the first communication unit having been received at the second communication unit is stored, and a processing unit that executes processing on images stored at the image storage unit based upon the instruction received at the second communication unit from the first communication unit.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The disclosures of the following priority applications are hereinincorporated by reference:

-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-332555 filed Oct. 30, 2001-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-349644 filed Nov. 15, 2001.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an image storage apparatus, an imagestorage supporting apparatus, an image storage system, an imagemanagement apparatus and an image saving apparatus, and morespecifically, it relates to storage and management of imagesphotographed with a digital camera.

BACKGROUND ART

Various types of so-called image filing apparatuses and electronic albumdevices used in the storage of still image data obtained throughphotographing operations executed with digital cameras have beenproposed to date. They include those disclosed in, for instance,Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. S63-142963, Japanese Laid OpenPatent Publication No. H 7-87432, Japanese Laid Open Patent PublicationNo. H 7-282077, Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H 7-182366 andJapanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H 11-32285.

A concept of assigning an external image storage server to save and fileimages by transmitting the images photographed with a digital camerafrom the digital camera or a personal computer to the external imagestorage server has also been proposed.

However, when the user files images or manages images in an electronicalbum on his own apparatus, he may lose the image information due todisplacement of or damage to the recording medium unless he manages theimages in a very thorough manner. When he contracts an external imageserver to file images or to manage images in an electronic album, on theother hand, he must ensure that he transmits images promptly to theimage server so that the images are stored in a timely manner for smoothmanagement. In addition, he cannot use the images without accessing theimage server.

Furthermore, since the image server often sets specific limits to thestorage capacity allocated to each user, a user wishing to have a greatnumber of images saved needs to contract a plurality of image servers.Also, a user may end up subscribing to services provided by a pluralityof image servers without initially intending to employ a plurality ofdifferent image servers, if he signs up with random image serverswithout careful planning. When images are saved at a plurality ofdifferent image servers, the user may no longer be able to ascertainwhich images are stored at which image servers.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A desired object of the present invention is to provide an image storagesystem to be adopted in image filing or electronic album management ofimages, which ensures that images are stored with a high degree ofreliability, that the stored images are saved with a high degree ofsecurity and that the images can be retrieved through a simple procedureof image filing, and an image storage apparatus and an image storagesupporting apparatus constituting the system.

Another desired object of the present invention is to provide an imagemanagement apparatus that makes it possible to manage images in awell-organized manner even when a plurality of image servers areemployed.

In order to achieve the objects described above, the image storagesystem according to the present invention comprises an image storageapparatus and an image storage supporting apparatus. The image storageapparatus comprises an input unit to which image information is input, afirst communication unit, a management unit that executes management sothat the input image information is transmitted from the firstcommunication unit in automatic response to an input of the imageinformation to the input unit, an information holding unit that holdsthe input image information until the transmission is completed andthen, in response to the management unit, automatically discards theinput image information after the transmission is completed, aninformation storage unit that stores related information correspondingto image information having been transmitted even after the transmissionis completed and an instruction unit that issues an instruction via thefirst communication unit with regard to processing to be executed on theimage information based upon the corresponding related informationstored at the information storage unit. The supporting apparatuscomprises a second communication unit, an image storage unit that storesthe image information from the first communication unit which has beenreceived at the second communication unit and a processing unit thatexecutes processing on an image stored at the image storage unit basedupon the instruction received at the second communication unit from thefirst communication unit.

With the configuration described above, in which image storage isassigned to the supporting apparatus, such as an external image server,it is possible to ensure that image information is transmitted to thesupporting apparatus with a high degree of reliability in automaticresponse to an input of the image information to the image storageapparatus. Thus, an inadvertent failure to transmit image informationhaving been input never occurs. In addition, since the relatedinformation corresponding to image data having been transmitted to thesupporting apparatus is stored at the information storage unit after thetransmission, instructions with regard to the image information such asa print instruction, a retrieve instruction or a transfer instructioncan be issued by accessing the supporting apparatus based upon thestored information whenever necessary.

The related information may be created within the image storageapparatus based upon the image information input to the input unit, orthe supporting apparatus may be assigned to create related informationbased upon the image information having been transmitted thereto andthen to return the related information thus created.

In another mode of the invention, image information with a smallerinformation volume is created based upon the original image informationand this image information with the smaller information volume is storedas the related information at the information storage unit of the imagestorage apparatus. In such a case, the image information with thesmaller information volume which is stored at the information storageunit of the image storage apparatus can be utilized for normal purposessuch as a simple image search and image viewing on a monitor. Since adesired number of sets of image information can be stored at theinformation storage unit in the image storage apparatus with the limitedstorage capacity in this manner and the image information with thesmaller information volume provides images with an image quality highenough for viewing at a display unit of the image storage apparatus, theuser does not need to access the supporting apparatus such as an imageserver each time he needs to use image information. He only needs toaccess the supporting apparatus when he needs a higher quality image forprinting or the like.

In another mode of the invention, the image storage apparatus comprisesan input instruction unit that issues an instruction for an individualinput of the image information and a transmission instruction unit thatissues an instruction for an image transmission, and images are managedfor individual sets of image information so that if an instruction isissued by the input instruction unit, the input image information istransmitted to the supporting apparatus without any instruction from thetransmission instruction unit. This enables highly specific managementof individual images and, at the same time, it is ensured that a givenimage for which an input instruction is issued by the user having aparticular interest in the image is transmitted to the supportingapparatus with a high degree of reliability.

To describe the invention realized in this mode in further detail, imageinformation is transmitted to the supporting apparatus either in a firsttransmission mode in which transmission of each set of image informationis started in response to an input instruction from the inputinstruction unit or in a second transmission mode in which a pluralityof sets of image information are transmitted in a batch. Morespecifically, if an input instruction is issued while a connection withthe supporting apparatus is in effect, the transmission is executed inthe first transmission mode, whereas the transmission is executed in thesecond transmission mode if the connection with the supporting apparatusis not in effect, so as to save on communication fees by transmitting aplurality of sets of image information whenever the connection needs tobe established anew. Furthermore, if the communication fee is chargedbased upon the data volume of image information to be transmitted, thecommunication fee does not change whether image information istransmitted individually or in a batch, and accordingly, thetransmission is executed in the first transmission mode, whereas thetransmission is executed in the second transmission mode if thecommunication fee is charged based upon the length of communicationtime.

In yet another mode of the invention, transmission management isimplemented so that image information held at the information holdingunit is transmitted to the supporting apparatus when the imageinformation satisfies a predetermined condition. To describe theinvention adopting this mode in further detail, the image information istransmitted even without satisfying the predetermined conditions when apredetermined time point arrives or a predetermined length of timeelapses after the previous transmission. It is to be noted that thepredetermined condition may be that the number of sets of imageinformation held at the information holding unit has reached apredetermined value, that the grand total of the data volume of theimage information held at the information holding unit has reached apredetermined value or the like. Through such management, thetransmission is executed particularly efficiently in the second modedescribed above.

In order to achieve the objects described above, another aspect of theinvention provides an image management apparatus having an informationstorage unit that transmits image information to one of a plurality ofexternal recipients such as image servers to be saved therein and alsostores related information with regard to the image information havingbeen transmitted. The related information may be, for instance, displayimage information with a small file size corresponding to thetransmitted image information. The image management apparatus accordingto the invention further comprises an operation unit through which aninstruction with regard to the related information is issued regardlessof to which of the plurality of external recipients the correspondingimage information has been transmitted and an instruction unit thattransmits an instruction issued through the operation unit to thecorresponding external recipient in response to an operation at theoperation unit. The instruction may be, for instance, a request for aprinting operation to be executed based upon the image informationcorresponding to the related information.

According to the invention described above, regardless of at whichexternal recipient the instruction-target image information is saved,the instruction is transmitted with a high degree of reliability to thecorrect external recipient based upon the related information stored atthe information storage unit by executing a specific operation.

The instruction described above is transmitted to the external recipientat which the image information corresponding to the related informationis saved, an external recipient capable of executing the instruction ofor the like. In addition, if there are a plurality of recipients forwhich a given instruction is intended, the instruction may be simplytransmitted to one representative external recipient who is thenassigned to relay the instruction to the other external recipients. Atthis time, by selecting an external recipient capable of executing theinstruction as the representative, the process of billing the user forthe fees for the instruction execution can be carried out smoothly.Alternatively, the instruction may be transmitted to a predeterminedsingle external recipient assigned to function as a liaison. In thiscase, an external recipient who does not have the image informationcorresponding to the related information saved therein or does notexecute the instruction can be in appointed to function as a liaisonwhose sole role is to direct the instruction to the correct recipients.It is to be noted that the instruction may be directly transmitted fromthe image management apparatus individually to the plurality of externalrecipients instead of to a single representative recipient or to asingle liaison.

In another mode of the invention, the related information stored at theinformation storage unit of the image management apparatus includesidentification information used to identify the specific image, which isassigned based upon a universal or common standard commonly employed bythe plurality of external recipients. To describe this mode in furtherdetail, the related information also contains identification informationused to identify the image management apparatus which is assigned incompliance with the universal standard and identification informationused to identify the specific external recipient, which is assigned incompliance with the universal standard. Compliance with such a universalstandard facilitates the specification of image information and aninstruction transfer during communication between the image managementapparatus and an external recipient, allows the plurality of externalrecipients to share image information and contract the execution ofinstructions to one another, and also accommodates a system with a givenexternal recipient functioning as representative or a liaison with ease.Such identification information conforming to the universal standard maybe assigned at the external recipient in compliance with the universalstandard, or it may be assigned at the image management apparatus incompliance with the universal standard.

In another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises a display unit at which related information with respect toimage information is displayed regardless of to which specific externalrecipients the individual sets of image information have beentransmitted. The related information is displayed so as to allow theuser to select a desired set of related information from a plurality ofsets of related information, for instance. The user will need to selecta specific set of related information in this manner when issuing aninstruction to the corresponding external recipient, or when viewing theimage by using the related information constituted as display imageinformation at the image management apparatus itself. Since all therelated information is displayed at the display unit described aboveeven if the individual sets of image information are saved at aplurality of different external recipients, the image information can bemanaged through a centralized system at the image management apparatus.

In yet another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises a display unit at which all available services are displayedregardless of which of a plurality of external service providers offerthe specific services when the user wishes to request a service for astored image from one of the plurality of external service providers. Inmore specific terms, this display may take the form of a display of aservice menu in a format that allows a selection of a given servicethrough the operation unit. By using the display unit described above,an integrated management system, which offers the user the comfort ofdealing with a single external service provider even when a plurality ofexternal service providers are employed. It is to be noted that adecision-making unit that eliminates any unavailable services from thedisplay in correspondence to individual images to receive services maybe provided. Such a decision-making unit helps simplify the display byexcluding unavailable services from the display.

In another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises an information storage unit that transmits image informationto one of a plurality of external recipients to be saved therein andstores related information with regard to the transmitted imageinformation and a search unit that searches for related information atthe information storage unit as the search target regardless of whichexternal recipient the corresponding image information has beentransmitted to. In this case, regardless of at which external recipienta specific image is saved, the image satisfying a search condition canbe searched with a high degree of reliability. In addition, the resultsof such a search can be displayed no matter at which external recipientthe image is saved.

In another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises an operation unit through which an instruction is issued withregard to a plurality of sets of related information corresponding toimage information saved at a plurality of external recipients and aninstruction unit that transmits the instruction to the plurality ofexternal recipients in response to an operation at the operation unit.Alternatively, the image management apparatus may include a selectionoperation unit through which a plurality of sets of related informationcorresponding to image information saved at a plurality of externalrecipients are selected and an instruction for the selected sets ofrelated information is issued, a transmission operation unit throughwhich a transmission instruction is issued to all the relevant externalrecipients and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction to theplurality of external recipients in response to an operation of thetransmission operation unit. In this mode, when sending an instructionwith regard to a plurality of sets of related information correspondingto image information saved at a plurality of recipients, for instance,the user only needs to issue the instruction with regard to theindividual sets of related information or to perform a singletransmission operation regardless of the specific intended recipients inorder to send the instruction to all the external recipients which theinstruction is to be sent without having to execute a transmissionoperation in correspondence to each of the plurality of externalrecipients.

In yet another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises an operation unit through which an instruction with regard torelated information is issued to all relevant external recipients, aconversion unit that converts the instruction to an instruction inherentto a specific external recipient and an instruction unit that transmitsthe instruction inherent to the external recipient in response to anoperation at the operation unit. Since a plurality of externalrecipients normally operate within individual inherent instructionsystems unless they all comply with a universal standard, separateinstructions with identical contents, which are compatible with thedifferent instruction systems, must be provided to the plurality ofexternal recipients. However, by adopting the mode described above, onlya single instruction needs to be issued for all the external recipients,as long as the instruction contents are identical.

In another mode of the invention, the image management apparatuscomprises an information storage unit that transmits image informationto one of a plurality of external recipients to be saved therein andstores related information corresponding to image information saved atthe external recipients and a display unit at which information relatedto external recipients having accessible image information saved thereinis displayed based upon the related information. More specifically, thedisplay unit is controlled so that a new external recipient at whichaccessible image information is now saved for the first time isautomatically added to the display at the display unit and the anexternal recipient at which there is no longer any accessible imageinformation saved is automatically deleted from the display at thedisplay unit. Alternatively, a plurality of external recipients may bedisplayed regardless of whether or not they hold accessible imageinformation and external recipients having accessible image informationsaved therein may be displayed by adopting a display mode different froma display mode of other external recipients. As a further alternative, aplurality of external recipients may be displayed regardless of whetheror not they hold accessible image information and the user may beenabled to issue an instruction exclusively for external recipientshaving accessible image information saved therein. By adopting thismode, an integrated management of a plurality of external recipients,for instance, is realized through a simple system.

An image saving apparatus constituting an external recipient may adoptvarious modes in correspondence to the different modes explained above.For instance, the image saving apparatus according to the presentinvention operates in conjunction with other image saving apparatuses byrequesting an image transfer from another image saving apparatus whenthe target image information for which a received instruction isintended is not saved at the image saving apparatus or by requestingthat another image saving apparatus execute an instruction which theimage saving apparatus has received but cannot execute, in addition tomanaging images saved therein based upon related information conformingto a universal standard.

In another mode of the invention, the image saving apparatus comprises adecision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not aninstruction having been received is appropriate. More specifically, theimage saving apparatus feeds back the results of the decision to theinstruction originator, and if an illegal instruction that would resultin a copyright violation, for instance, has been issued, it reports theresults of the decision to a third party.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the image storage apparatus achieved in afirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram, showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 presents a main flowchart of the processing executed at the imagestorage apparatus in the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a storageinterrupt is applied;

FIG. 5 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a viewinterrupt is applied;

FIG. 6 presents a flowchart of the data transmission processing executedto transmit data to an image server;

FIG. 7 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a printinterrupt is applied;

FIG. 8 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when atransmission interrupt is applied;

FIG. 9 presents a detailed flowchart of the transmission conditionsetting operation;

FIG. 10 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when an editinterrupt is applied;

FIG. 11 is a chart of the structure of the data at the image unit in thelarge capacity storage unit of the image server;

FIG. 12 is a chart of the structure of the data at the history recordunit in the large capacity storage unit of the image server;

FIG. 13 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a searchinterrupt is applied;

FIG. 14 presents examples of history record data indicating a history ofsearches;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in a second embodiment;

FIG. 16 presents a flowchart of a CM interrupt executed in the secondembodiment;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in a third embodiment;

FIG. 18 shows the display layouts of the initial screen and the viewingscreen adopted in the third embodiment;

FIG. 19 shows the display layouts of the mail file and the mailgenerating screen adopted in the third embodiment;

FIG. 20 shows the display layouts of the printing screen and the editingscreen adopted in the third embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 22 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when atransmission interrupt is applied to transmit data to an image server inthe fourth embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a chart of the structure of the image data managed by usingan integrated management software program in the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 25 presents a flowchart of the operation executed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus during print processing inthe fifth embodiment;

FIG. 26 presents a flowchart of the operation executed at an imageserver in compliance with the universal standard in the fifthembodiment;

FIG. 27 presents a detailed flowchart of the access/transmissionprocessing in FIG. 25;

FIG. 28 presents a flowchart of the instruction dispatching operationconstituting part of the batch transmission processing in FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 presents examples of the display layouts for the operationscreens adopted in the image storage apparatus in a sixth embodiment;and

FIG. 30 shows how the application program may be provided in a recordingmedium such as a CD-ROM or through a data signal on the Internet or thelike.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the image storage apparatus achieved in thefirst embodiment of the present invention. The image storage apparatusaccording to the present invention, which is utilized primarily to storeimages photographed with a digital camera, is constituted as atelephone-integrated image storage apparatus in the first embodiment.The image storage apparatus in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1assumes a form substantially similar to that of a fax phone with adisplay screen and includes a receiver 2 connected to a main unit 1thereof. The receiver 2 may be a so-called cordless receiver. As in thecase of a standard telephone, an incoming call is connected as thereceiver 2 is lifted to enable a telephone conversation. A large screendisplay unit 3 having an approximately 5-inch color high-definitionliquid crystal display screen 3 a can be rotated relative to the mainunit 1, so as to be laid down along the main unit 1 or to be setupright, as shown in FIG. 1. A detachable camera unit 4 is mounted atthe center of the upper end of the large screen display unit 3. Whilethe camera unit 4 is a compact digital camera, it has a smaller numberof pixels compared to a digital camera used to photograph images to bestored in the image storage apparatus and is used primarily forvideophone applications, as detailed later.

As in the case of a standard fax phone, the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can be used to conduct a telephoneconversation or to execute fax communication via a telephone lineconnected via a modular jack. In addition, various types of servicesoffered through personal computer communication or a portable telephonenetwork can be received via the telephone line. For instance, the usercan exchange electronic mail with another party by using a keypad 6 andthe large screen display unit 3, receive music content distributed viathe line to reproduce the music at stereo speakers 7. In addition, animage photographed with the camera unit 4 can be transmitted or the usercan use the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus as a videophoneby using the camera unit 4, an internal microphone 8 and the speakers 7.It is to be noted that during a video phone conversation, the dialoguecan be conducted via the receiver 2 as well. When conducting a telephoneconversation via the microphone 8 and the speakers 7 without lifting thereceiver 2, a transmission/reception button 9 is pressed to receive anincoming call or to originate a call. A ring tone is generated throughthe stereo speakers 7 when an incoming call arrives as well.

A charging cord 10 is connected to a commercial source line through aplug 11 and includes an AC adapter 10 a. The main unit 1, which includesan internal battery, can be carried around freely by disconnecting theplug 11 as long as the battery has been charged.

No display is brought up at the large screen display unit 3 and thepower consumption of the entire image storage apparatus itself isminimized, in a call arrival wait state. As the receiver 2 is lifted,the transmission/reception button 9 is pressed, one of the keys 6 ispressed or one of a scroll dial 12, a left-shift button 13 and aright-shift button 14 is operated in this state, the image storageapparatus is started up immediately to enter an active state and adisplay is brought up on the large screen display unit 3. Regardless ofhow the image storage apparatus is started up, an initial menu screen isdisplayed at the large screen display unit 3.

The user rotates the scroll dial 12, which can be turned up/down, toscroll the screen up/down, perform a menu selection in up/downdirections or to select an icon in up/down directions. In addition, aselection is confirmed and the like by pressing the scroll dial 12. Eachtime the left-shift button 13 is pressed once, the screen is scrolled tothe left by a predetermined extent, the menu is shifted to the left, anicon is shifted to the left or the like. Each time the right-shiftbutton 14 is pressed once, the screen is scrolled to the right by apredetermined extent, a menu is shifted to the right, an icon is shiftedto the right or the like.

An end button 15 is operated to reset the image storage apparatus fromthe activated state to the call arrival wait state. The image storageapparatus may also be reset to the call arrival wait state through amanual operation performed by using the scroll dial 12. In addition, theimage storage apparatus exits the active state and reenters the callarrival wait state when the receiver 2 having been used is lowered ontothe main unit cradle.

A help button 16 is pressed to receive audio guidance when the user doesnot know how to operate the image storage apparatus.

While the explanation above focuses on the telephone functions of theimage storage apparatus, the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus achieved in the first embodiment in FIG. 1 takes in (readsout) image data photographed with an external digital camera from amemory card as the memory card is taken out of the digital camera andinserted at a card slot 17 and stores the image data thus read out inthe main unit 1 of the telephone-integrated image storage apparatuswhich includes a hard disk. The image data having been taken in may bedisplayed at the large screen display unit 3, may be printed out byusing the print function of the fax machine or may be transmitted toanother telephone-integrated image storage apparatus or an externalimage saving apparatus such as an image server that saves images as aservice by using the telephone functions.

It is to be noted that the image data in the digital camera may bedirectly taken in from the digital camera by connecting the digitalcamera to a digital terminal 18 through a digital cord instead of bytaking the memory card out of the digital camera and inserting thememory card at the card slot as described above.

In addition, if the main unit 1 also functions as a digital cameracharging/data intake station, as disclosed in Japanese Laid Open PatentPublication No. 2000-341614, a stage for a digital camera should beprovided at the top of the main unit 1 and a charging terminal for thedigital camera and the digital terminal 18 should be disposed within thestage unit. In the structure, once the digital camera is set on thestage, the digital terminal 18 and the charging terminal are placed indirect contact with the corresponding terminals of the digital camera toenable an image intake and a charge.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in the first embodiment. The same reference numerals areassigned to components described in reference to FIG. 1. It is to benoted that a transceiver unit 20 includes the receiver 2 in FIG. 1,whereas an operation unit 21 includes the keypad 6, thetransmission/reception button 9, the scroll dial 12, the left-shiftbutton 13, the right-shift button 14, the end button 15, the help button16 and the like shown in FIG. 1. In addition, an audio processing unit22 processes signals for the speakers 7 and the microphone 8. A powersupply unit 23 connected to the charge cord 10 includes a battery 24 andsupplies power to the entire telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25.

In the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 shown in FIG. 2,thumbnail data appended to all the image data in the memory cardinserted at the card slot 17 or all the image data in a digital cameraaccessed via the digital terminal 18 are first taken in and temporarilysaved into memory inside a control/processing unit 26.

These thumbnail data are displayed side-by-side at the large screendisplay unit 3, and as the user selects one of the thumbnail imagesthrough the operation unit 21 and performs an operation to indicate thathe wishes to view the image corresponding to the selected thumbnailimage, the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image aretaken in from the memory card or the digital camera. Since the imagedata (hereafter referred to as “original image data”) are in acompressed state, the control/processing unit 26 decompresses theoriginal image data and displays the decompressed original image dataover the entire screen at the large screen display unit 3. At the sametime, the control/processing unit 26 culls or sub-samples pixels in thedecompressed original data to lower the resolution to a level which ishigh enough for display over the entire screen of the large screendisplay unit 3 and also creates storage image data by compressing thesub-sampled data. It is to be noted that if a file structure havingimage data corresponding to a plurality of resolution levels providedfor a single image is adopted for the original image data, thisoperation does not need to be executed. Under such circumstances, imagedata with a resolution level set high enough for display over the entirescreen at the large screen display unit 3 among the plurality of sets ofimage data prepared in correspondence to the different resolution levelsare used as the storage image data.

The storage image data are stored into a hard disk 28 at a storage unit27. History records of various types of operations to be explained laterare also stored into the storage unit 27. The original image datacorresponding to the storage image data are transmitted to acommunication unit 31 at an image server 30 through a communication unit29, and the transmitted original image data are then stored into animage unit 33 at a large capacity storage unit 32. Thus, the originalimage data are taken in in response to an operation at the operationunit 21 performed to display the original image data at the large screendisplay unit 3, the corresponding storage image data are automaticallygenerated and stored into the storage unit 27, and the original imagedata are transmitted to the image server 30 where they are stored intothe large capacity storage unit 32. It is to be noted that the largecapacity storage unit 32 at the image server 30 includes a historyrecord unit 32 to be detailed later in addition to the image unit 33.

In addition, an operation similar to that described above is executedwhen one of the thumbnail images displayed at the large screen displayunit 3 is selected with the operation unit 21 and an operation isperformed to indicate that the image corresponding to the selectedthumbnail image is to be printed at a printing unit 35. Namely, thecontrol/processing unit 26 takes in the original image datacorresponding to the selected thumbnail image from the memory card orthe digital camera, decompresses the original image and provides thedecompressed original image data to the printing unit 35 which is thenengaged in a printing operation. At the same time, thecontrol/processing unit 26 sub-samples pixels in the decompressedoriginal data to lower the resolution to a level which is high enoughfor display over the entire screen at the large screen display unit 3and then compresses the sub-sampled data to generate storage image data.The storage image data are stored into the hard disk 28 at the storageunit 27. In addition, the corresponding original image data aretransmitted to the communication unit 31 at the image server 30 from thecommunication unit 29, and the transmitted original image data arestored into the large capacity storage unit 32. Thus, in response to anoperation at the operation unit 21 performed to print the original imagedata at the printing unit 35, the original image data are taken in, thestorage image data are automatically stored into the storage unit 27 andthe original image data are transmitted to the image server 30 wherethey are stored at the large capacity storage unit 32.

Furthermore, an operation similar to that described above is executedwhen one of the thumbnail images displayed at the large screen displayunit 3 selected with the operation unit and an operation is performed torequest that the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnailimage be printed at a high quality image printing unit 36, such as asilver halide printer located at the image server 30. Namely, thecontrol/processing unit 26 takes in the original image datacorresponding to the selected thumbnail image from the memory card orthe digital camera, decompresses the original image and provides thedecompressed original image data to the large screen display unit 3which then displays the image data to allow the user to confirm theprint request target image. At the same time, the control/processingunit 26 sub-samples pixels in the decompressed original data to lowerthe resolution to a level which is high enough for display over theentire screen at the large screen display unit 3 and then compresses thesub-sampled data to generate storage image data. The storage image dataare stored into the hard disk 28 at the storage unit 27. In addition,the corresponding original image data are transmitted to thecommunication unit 31 at the image server 30 from the communication unit29, and the transmitted original image data are stored into the largecapacity storage unit 32. Subsequently, the original data at the largecapacity storage unit 32 are decompressed and the high quality imageprinting unit 36 prints the decompressed original image data. Thus, inresponse to an operation at the operation unit 21 performed to engagethe high quality image printing unit 36 at the image server 30 to printthe original image data, the original image data are taken in, thestorage image data are automatically generated and stored into thestorage unit 27 and the original image data are transmitted to the imageserver 30 where they are stored at the large capacity storage unit 32.

A second telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 shown in FIG. 2adopts a structure completely identical to that of the firsttelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 described above. Forthis reason, FIG. 2 does not include the illustration of its componentsother than a communication unit 38 in order to avoid an over complexdrawing.

The operation described above is also executed when the user selects oneof the thumbnail images displayed at the large screen display unit 3through the operation unit 21 and performs an operation to indicate thatthe image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is to betransmitted to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37.Namely, the control/processing unit 26 takes in the original image datacorresponding to the selected thumbnail image from the memory card orthe digital camera, decompresses the original image, sub-samples pixelsin the decompressed original data to lower the resolution to a levelwhich is high enough for display over the entire screen at the largescreen display unit 3 and then compresses the sub-sampled data togenerate storage image data. The storage image data are stored into thehard disk 28 at the storage unit 27 and the storage image data are alsotransmitted to the communication unit 38 of the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 from the communication unit 29. The storageimage data having been transmitted are stored into a hard disk at astorage unit at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37. Atthe same time, the corresponding original image data are transmitted tothe communication unit 31 at the image server 30 from the communicationunit 29, and the transmitted original image data are stored into thelarge capacity storage unit 32. Thus, in response to an operation at theoperation unit 21 performed to transmit a desired image to anothertelephone-integrated image storage apparatus the original image data aretaken in, the storage image data are automatically generated and storedinto the storage unit 27 and the original image data are transmitted tothe image server 30 where they are stored at the large capacity storageunit 32. As described above, the storage image data instead of theoriginal image data are exchanged between telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatuses.

A video output terminal 39 is a digital terminal through which thedecompressed original image data are output to be viewed on a digitalvideo monitor and digital signals similar to those output to the largescreen display unit 3 are output through the video output terminal 39.The operation described above is also executed when the user performs anoperation at the operation unit 21 to select one of the thumbnail imagesso as to display the corresponding original image at the digital videomonitor connected to the video output terminal 39. Namely, thecontrol/processing unit 26 takes in the original image datacorresponding to the selected thumbnail image from the memory card orthe digital camera, decompresses the original image and outputs thedecompressed original image data to the video output terminal 39. At thesame time, the control/processing unit 26 sub-samples pixels in thedecompressed original data to lower the resolution to a level which ishigh enough for display over the entire screen at the large screendisplay unit 3 and then compresses the sub-sampled data to generatestorage image data. The storage image data are stored into the hard disk28 at the storage unit 27, the corresponding original image data aretransmitted to the communication unit 31 at the image server 30 from thecommunication unit 29, and the transmitted original image data arestored into the large capacity storage unit 32. Thus, in response to anoperation at the operation unit 21 performed to view a desired image onthe digital video monitor connected to the video output terminal 39, theoriginal image data are taken in, the storage image data areautomatically generated and stored into the storage unit 27 and theoriginal image data are transmitted to the image server 30 where theyare stored at the large capacity storage unit 32.

As explained above, according to the present invention, in response toan operation at the operation unit 21 performed to view, print ortransmit an image, the original image data are automatically taken inand also, the corresponding storage image data are stored into the harddisk 28 at the storage unit 27 within the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25. As a result, since an image with regard to whichan operation is performed with any specific intent is stored into thestorage unit 27 without fail, the image can be subsequently searchedwithin the storage unit 27 when the image becomes needed later, andphotographed images can be managed in a centralized system. This meansthat a solid and comprehensive database which does not become incompletedue to negligence can be assured for image data storage.

In addition, since the corresponding original image data are alwaysstored into the image server 30 as backup for images stored at thestorage unit 27, the original image data are preserved intact even ifthe hard disk 27 at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25on the user side becomes damaged.

It is to be noted that the history records of specific operationsexecuted on specific images through the operation unit 21 are allautomatically stored into the history record unit 34 at the largecapacity storage unit 32 of the image server 30. This allows the user toaccess the image server and search for an image stored at the storageunit 27 by using a specific record stored at the history record unit 34as a search key. In addition, memory contents at the history record unit34 may be history records of operations involving thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 and, in such a case, thehistory records can be shared with the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 37. Accordingly, the history record unit 34 at theimage server 30 can be accessed from the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 37 to use the memory contents at the history recordunit 34 as search key when searching for an image in the storage unit atthe second telephone-integrated image storage apparatus received fromthe first telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25. It is to benoted that once a history record is obtained by accessing the historyrecord unit 34, the history record is saved at the storage unit 27 ofthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 or 37, and thus, thehistory record can be subsequently used as a search key without havingto access the image server 30 again, as long as the history record doesnot need to be updated.

During the image viewing operation, the image printing operation or theimage transmission operation described above, the storage image data andthe original image data are not automatically stored if the same imagehas already been automatically stored through another operation. Forinstance, if the image has been previously viewed and the storage imagedata and the original image data have been automatically stored into thestorage unit 27 and the large capacity storage unit 32 respectively as aresult, a printing operation is simply executed by using the expanded ororiginal data in response to a subsequent instruction to print the sameimage at the printing unit 35, and the storage image data and theoriginal image data are not automatically stored again. However, ahistory record indicating that an instruction for the image to beprinted has been issued is transmitted from the communication unit 29 tothe communication unit 31 to be stored into the history record unit 34at the large capacity storage unit 32.

It is to be noted that while the storage image data with the smallerfile size is stored at the storage unit 27 of the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 25 and the original image data are stored at theimage server 30 as backup, the limits to the storage capacity of thestorage unit 27 are substantially eliminated without resulting in anincrease in the cost of the storage unit 27 through such storagedesignation. In addition, it lowers the communication cost by minimizingthe frequency of communication between the image server 30 and thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 and also by reducing thevolume of image data exchanged between the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatuses. Namely, while images are most frequently used atthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 for image viewing atthe large screen display unit 3, the level of the resolution of thestorage image data at the storage unit 27 is high enough for full screendisplay at the large screen display unit 3 and thus, the quality ofimages constituted of the storage image data is high enough for viewing.For this reason, it is not necessary to obtain the original image databy accessing the image server 30. When images are exchanged throughcommunication between the telephone integrated storage apparatuses, too,the resolution of the image data received on the receiving side onlyneeds to be high enough for full screen display at the large screendisplay unit 3 on the receiving side. Thus, the sender side only needsto transmit the storage image data and it is not necessary to obtain theoriginal image data by accessing the image server 30, resulting in areduction in the communication cost.

It is to be noted that when a high-quality image needs to be printed atthe printing unit 35 or when an image is viewed on the digital videomonitor connected to the video output terminal 39, the resolution of thestorage image data is not high enough, and accordingly, the useraccesses the image server 30 to download the original image data at thelarge capacity storage unit 32 to a buffer memory in thecontrol/processing unit 26 and the original image data thus downloadedare provided to the printing unit 35 or the video output terminal.

An image stored at the storage unit 27 can be edited on thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, as well. When editingan image, the image to be edited is first called up from the storageunit 27 and is displayed at the large screen display unit 3. The useralso accesses the image server 30 to specify the original image datasaved at the image server 30 that correspond to the storage image datadisplayed at the large screen display unit 3. Then, the original imagedata are edited through an operation of the operation unit 21 byutilizing functions of the image server 30 while monitoring the editingresults at the large screen display unit 3 in a state of continuousconnection with the image server 30 without having to download theoriginal image data to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus25. Upon completing the editing operation, the edited image isregistered at the image server 30 as updated original image data, andnew storage image data are generated in correspondence and stored intothe hard disk 28 of the storage unit 27. Thus, while the editingoperation appears to be executed at the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 by operating the operation unit 21 while monitoringthe image at the large screen display unit 3 in real time, the desiredediting results are, in reality, achieved with the software at the imageserver 30 in response to the editing operation performed at theoperation unit 21.

FIG. 3 presents a main flowchart of the processing executed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25. After the power switchis turned on in step S1, a verification is executed in step S2 toascertain whether or not the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 is already registered at the server center. If the powerswitch of a newly purchased telephone-integrated image storage apparatus25 has been turned on for the first time or if specific registrationprocessing has not been completed yet, the operation proceeds to step S3to automatically connect the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 to the image server 30. Upon establishing a connection,specific registration/initialization processing is executed in step S4,and upon completing the registration/initialization processing, theconnection with the image server 30 is cut off in step S5. The term“registration/initialization” in this context refers to registration ofthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 at the image server30 and initialization of a series of functions which need to becompleted to enable the two parties to work in conjunction for imagestorage and image search. For instance, if the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 has not been registered/initialized when thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 has beenregistered/initialized, problem-free sharing of image data and historyrecord data by the telephone-integrated image storage apparatuses 25 and37 via the image server 30 cannot be achieved. For this reason, theprocessing in step S2 through step S5 is executed to ensure that eachnew telephone-integrated image storage apparatus being used for thefirst time is registered/initialized without fail.

If, on the other hand, it is judged in step S2 that thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 is already registered,various types of interrupts are enabled in step S6 through step S11 andthen the operation enters a standby state in step S12.

FIG. 4 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a storageinterrupt is applied. The storage interrupt, which is applied when amemory card is inserted at the card slot 17, when the digital terminal18 is connected to a digital camera or when an image is received fromanother telephone-integrated image storage apparatus such as thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37, starts in step S21.

In step S22, thumbnail data of the image data stored in the memory cardor the digital camera are taken into the control/processing unit 26 andare then displayed together at the large screen display unit 3. When thestorage interrupt is applied upon receiving storage image data from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 or the like, on theother hand, the thumbnail data of the received storage image data aredisplayed at the large screen display unit 3.

In step S23, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not thestorage interrupt has been applied upon receiving storage image datafrom another telephone-integrated image storage apparatus, and thereceived storage image data are immediately stored into the storage unit27 in step S24 if it is decided that the interrupt has been applied uponreceiving image data. In addition, a reception history record indicatingthe time of the reception of the storage image data, the sender of thestorage image data and the like is stored into the storage unit 27 instep S25. Upon completing the processing described above, the receivedstorage image data are decompressed and are displayed at the largescreen display unit 3 in place of the thumbnail data having been ondisplay up to then in step S26, before the operation proceeds to stepS27 to wait in standby for the next operation. It is to be noted that ifa plurality of sets of storage image data have been received, one set ofstorage image data among them is selected by following a predeterminedrule and the selected storage image data are displayed over the entiredisplay screen in step S26.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S23 that the interrupt hasnot been applied in response to an image reception, the storageinterrupt has been applied by inserting a member card at the card slot17 or by connecting the digital terminal 18 to a digital camera. In sucha case, the operation jumps directly to step S27 to wait in standby forthe next operation while sustaining the thumbnail display.

FIG. 5 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a viewinterrupt is applied. The view interrupt is applied when an operation isperformed at the operation unit 21 to select a thumbnail image forviewing, and the flow of the view interrupt starts in step S31. In stepS32, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not the storageimage data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image are alreadystored in the hard disk 28 at the storage unit 27. If the storage imagedata are not yet stored, the selected thumbnail image corresponds tooriginal image data in the memory card inserted at the card slot 17 orin the digital camera connected to the digital terminal 18, which havenot been stored yet. Accordingly, the corresponding original image dataare taken in from the memory card or the digital camera into the buffermemory of the control/processing unit 26 in step S33. The original imagedata taken in in step S33 are in a compressed state. In step S34, theoriginal image data are decompressed and then the decompressed imagedata undergo sub-sampling processing in step S35, thereby generatingstorage image data. Then, the storage image data are compressed in stepS36, and the compressed storage image data are stored into the hard disk28 at the storage unit 27 in step S37. In step S37, record dataindicating that the storage image data having been stored into the harddisk 28 have been viewed at the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 are also stored into the storage unit 27.

In step S38, the original image data taken in in step S33 aretransmitted in the compressed state from the communication unit 29 tothe communication unit 31 at the image server 30, and a sequence ofprocessing is started to store the original image data into the largecapacity storage unit 32. In the transmission processing executed instep S38, the history record data indicating that the transmitted imagedata have been viewed at the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 are also transmitted and are stored into the history recordunit 34.

Then, in step S39, the storage image data generated in step S35 aredisplayed at the large screen display unit 3. It is to be noted that inthe sequence described above, the transmission processing fortransmitting the data to the image server starts in step S38 and thatthe transmission processing itself is continuously executed concurrentlyduring the processing executed in step S39 and subsequent steps. Thismeans that the operation does not proceed to step S39 upon completingthe processing in step S38 and that the operation shifts into step S39to display the storage image data at the large screen display unit 3 assoon as the processing in step S38 starts.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S32 that the storage imagedata corresponding to the selected thumbnail image have already beenstored at the hard disk 28 of the storage unit 27, the storage imagedata are read out from the storage unit 27 into the control/processingunit 26 in step S41. At this time, a record indicating that the storageimage data have been read out for purposes of viewing is stored into thestorage unit 27. In step S42, the storage image data have been read outare decompressed before the operation proceeds to step S38. Under thesecircumstances, only history record data indicating that the storageimage data read out from the storage unit 27 have been viewed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 alone are transmitted tothe image server 30 in the transmission processing executed in step S38and the history record data transmitted to the image server 30 are thenstored into the history record unit 34. Upon completing the processingdescribed above, the storage image data decompressed in step S42 aredisplayed at the large screen display unit 3 in step S39.

FIG. 6 presents a flowchart of the data transmission processing executedto transmit data to the image server, showing in detail the contents ofthe processing executed in step S38 in FIG. 5 over a predetermined timeinterval when the “intermittent call” setting to be explained later isselected. After the processing flow starts in step S51, a verificationis executed in step S52 to ascertain whether or not thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 is currently connectedwith the image server 30. If it is not connected with the image server30, a call is originated in step S53 to establish a telephone connectionwith the image server 30.

In step S54, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not apredetermined length of time has elapsed after initiating the call, andif it is decided that the predetermined length of time has not yetelapsed, a verification is executed in step S55 to ascertain whether ornot a telephone connection has been established. If it is decided abouta telephone connection has not been established, the operation returnsto step S54 and subsequently, the processing in step S54 and theprocessing in step S55 are repeatedly executed until the predeterminedlength of time elapses.

If it is decided in step S55 that a telephone connection has beenestablished, a transmission of transmission data is executed in stepS56. The transmission data may be the original image data having beentaken in from the memory card or the digital camera and held at thecontrol/processing unit 26 and the operation history record data or theymay only include the operation history record data alone depending uponthe situation. In step S57, a verification is executed to ascertainwhether or not the transmission of the transmission data has beencompleted. If it is decided that the transmission has not been completedyet, the operation returns to step S56 and subsequently, the processingin step S56 and the processing in step S57 are repeatedly executed untilthe transmission is completed. Upon completing the transmission, theoperation proceeds to step S38 to erase the transmission data from thecontrol/processing unit 26. In addition, the “intermittent call” isreset in step S59 before the processing ends in step S60. It is to benoted that the “intermittent call” is reset in step S59 only when the“intermittent call” has been set, and if the “intermittent call” has notbeen set, the operation proceeds to step S60 without effecting anychange in step S59.

If it is decided in step S52 that the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 and the image server 30 are connected to each other, theoperation skips to step S56 to immediately start the transmission of thetransmission data.

In addition, if it is decided in step S54 that the predetermined lengthof time has already elapsed without a successful telephone connectionhaving been established, the operation proceeds to step S61 to hold thetransmission data at the control/processing unit 26. Then, the“intermittent call” is set in step S62 before the processing ends instep S60. It is to be noted that if it is confirmed that an instructionto hold the same transmission data has already been issued, the statusremains unchanged in step S61. Likewise, if the “intermittent call” hasalready been set, the status remains unchanged in step S62. Such asituation occurs when the operation proceeds from step S54 to step S61after failing to establish a telephone connection again following aprevious connection failure.

When the “intermittent call” is set, the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 automatically executes the flow starting in stepS51 over predetermined time intervals. Thus, the processing in step S51through step S55 and the processing in step S61 through step S60 arerepeatedly executed over the predetermined time intervals until theoperation proceeds from step S55 to step S56 and subsequent steps totransmit the transmission data, erase the transmission data and resetthe “intermittent call”. During this process, if there are anyuntransmitted original image data, they are held together with thecorresponding storage image data within the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 in step S61. Such data are first held in the buffermemory at the control/processing unit 26 and then are backed up at thestorage unit 27 over predetermined time intervals. It is to be notedthat if an instruction to erase the original image data is issued instep S58 in this situation, the original image data in the buffer memoryat the control/processing unit 26 and the backup original image data atthe storage unit 27 are both erased.

The transmission processing executed to transmit image data to the imageserver in the flowchart presented in FIG. 6 described above is alsoadopted in the flow of a print interrupt and the flow of a transmissioninterrupt to be explained below.

FIG. 7 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a printinterrupt is applied. The print interrupt is applied in response to aprint instruction issued through the operation unit 21, and the printinterrupt flow starts in step S71. It is to be noted that a setting foroutside printing to be executed at the high quality image printing unit36 of the image server 30 by using the original image data or a settingfor internal printing to be executed at the printing unit 35 of thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, and a setting forinternal high quality image printing to be executed by using theoriginal image data during an internal printing operation or a settingfor quick image printing to be executed by using the storage image dataduring an internal printing operation, should be selected in advancethrough the operation unit 21 when issuing a print instruction.

In step S72, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not theprint instruction has been issued with an image on full screen displayat the large screen display unit 3. If a negative decision is made, theprint instruction has been issued by selecting one of the thumbnailimages displayed at the large screen display unit 3. In such a case, theoperation proceeds to step S73 to execute a verification to ascertainwhether or not the storage image data corresponding to the selectedthumbnail image have already been stored at the storage unit 27. If thecorresponding storage image data are not stored at the storage unit, theselected thumbnail image corresponds to unstored original image datapresent in the memory card inserted at the card slot 17 or in thedigital camera connected to the digital terminal 18, and accordingly,the original image data are taken into the buffer memory at thecontrol/processing unit 26 from the memory card or the digital camera instep S74. In step S75, the original image data are decompressed. Detailsof the storage image data processing executed in step S76 are similar tothose of the sub-sampling processing, the compression processing and thestorage processing respectively executed in step S35, step S36 and stepS37 in FIG. 5.

In step S77, the original image data taken in in step S74 and historyrecord data indicating that a print instruction has been issued withregard to the original image data are transmitted to the image server.The transmission processing is executed as detailed in FIG. 6. It is tobe noted that since the print instruction can be issued by selecting oneof outside printing, internal high quality image printing and internalquick image printing, the history record data transmitted to the imageserver also indicate the selected setting for printing. In addition, thehistory record data are also stored into the storage unit 27 during thestorage image data processing executed in step S76.

If the internal high quality image print setting has been selected,print processing executed by the printing unit 35 starts in step S78 byusing the original image data decompressed in step S75. If, on the otherhand, the quick image print setting has been selected, the printing unit35 starts executing the print processing by using the storage imagedata. If the outside print setting has been selected, the high qualityimage printing unit 36 at the image server 30 starts executing the printprocessing. In any case, once the print processing starts, the operationproceeds to step S79 to enter a standby state. It is to be noted that inthe sequence described above, the transmission processing fortransmitting the data to the image server starts in step S77 and thatthe transmission processing itself is continuously executed concurrentlyduring the processing executed in step S78 and subsequent steps, undernormal circumstances. However, if the operation proceeds to step S77 viastep S74 from step S73 as described above, the operation does notproceed to step S78 until the original image data are transmitted to theimage server 30 and are completely stored into the image unit 33.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S72 that the printinstruction has been issued with an image on full screen display at thelarge screen display unit 3, the print instruction has obviously been aissued following processing executed in response to a view interrupt.Namely, the processing shown in FIG. 5 has already been executed todirect the transmission of the corresponding original image data to theimage server and the storage image data processing. Accordingly, theoperation shifts to step S80 to execute a verification to ascertainwhether or not the original image data having been taken in are stillheld in the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25. If they arenot held in the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, itmeans that the transmission processing executed to transmit the originalimage data to the image server 30 has been completed and thus theoriginal image data have been erased in the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25. In this case, the operation proceeds to step S81to execute a verification as to whether or not the internal high qualityimage print setting has been selected. Then, if it is decided that theinternal high quality image print setting has been selected, a call isoriginated to connect with the image server 30 and receive the originalimage data from the image server 30 in step S82. The received originalimage data are decompressed in step S83. In this case, only historyrecord data indicating a print instruction has been issued with regardto the received original image data alone are transmitted to the imageserver 30 in step S77. It is to be noted that the record indicating thata print instruction has been issued may be stored into the historyrecord unit 34 in step S82 while communication with the image server 30is ongoing. If the history record is stored in step S82, the historyrecord data transmission processing in step S77 does not need to beexecuted. In step S78, the printing unit 35 executes print processing byusing the original image decompressed in step S82.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step 87 that the internal highquality image print setting has not been selected, either the outsideprint setting or the quick image print setting has been selected. Ateither of these settings, it is not necessary to direct the originalimage data to be transmitted from the image server 30 to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 and accordingly, theoperation proceeds directly to step S77 to execute the print processingeither at the high quality image printing unit 36 or the printing unit35 in conformance to the specific instruction.

If it is decided in step S72 that the print instruction has been issuedwhile the user was viewing an image and the operation accordinglyproceeds to step S80 to decide that the intaken data are held in thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, it means that althoughthe storage image data processing has been completed, the original imagedata have not been transmitted to the image server due to a failure toestablish a telephone connection or the like. In this situation, if theinternal high quality image print setting has been selected, theoriginal image data having been decompressed in the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 25 can be utilized and, accordingly, theoperation proceeds directly to step S77. Then, transmission processingto transmit history record data indicating that the print instructionhas been issued with regard to the image being viewed is attempted asdetailed in FIG. 6. If it is decided in step S55 that a successfulconnection with the image server 30 has been established, the originalimage data having been held as the transmission data and the viewinghistory record are transmitted together with the printing history recordas transmission data in step S56. If, on the other hand, the outsideprint setting has been selected, print processing starts in step S78upon completion of the transmission of the original image data to theimage server 30.

The operation also proceeds to step S80 if it is decided in step S73that the storage image data are already stored at the storage unit 27.Under these circumstances, the intaken data are hardly ever held at thestorage unit 27 and it is usually necessary to execute the processing insteps S82 and S83 if it is decided in step S81 that the internal highquality image print setting has been selected. However, a verificationis executed in step S80 to double check so as to allow the historyrecord data alone to be transmitted in step S77 when it is not necessaryto receive the original image data from the image server 30.

FIG. 8 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when atransmission interrupt is applied. The transmission interrupt is appliedin response to a transmit instruction issued to transmit data to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 or the like through theoperation unit 21 and the transmission interrupt flow starts in stepS91. In step S92, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or notthe transmit instruction has been issued while an image is on fullscreen display at the large screen display unit 3. If a negativedecision is made, it means that the transmit instruction has been issuedby selecting one of the thumbnail images displayed at the large screendisplay unit 3. In such a case, the operation proceeds to step S93 toexecute a verification to ascertain whether or not the storage imagedata corresponding to the selected thumbnail image are already stored atthe storage unit 27. If the corresponding storage image data are notalready stored at the storage unit, the selected thumbnail imagecorresponds to unstored original image data present in the memory cardinserted at the card slot 17 or in the digital camera connected to thedigital terminal 18, and accordingly, the original image data are takeninto the buffer memory at the control/processing unit 26 from the memorycard or the digital camera in step S94. In step S95, the original imagedata are decompressed. Details of the storage image data processingexecuted in step S96 are similar to those of the sub-samplingprocessing, the compression processing and the storage processingrespectively executed in step S35, step S36 and step S37 in FIG. 5.

In step S97, processing is executed to set transmission conditions asrestrictions to be imposed for the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 37 or the like, i.e., the recipient. The transmissionconditions include those set with regard to rights to be granted to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 receiving the storageimage data to access, download, print, edit, and transfer thecorresponding original image data at the image server 30. Theseconditions are set through the operation unit 21 in advance prior toexecuting the transmit instruction. In step S97, processing is executedto generate transmission condition data to be used to ensure that theseconditions are accurately communicated to the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 37 and the image server 30.

In step S98, processing is executed to transmit the original image datataken in in step S94 and history record data indicating the transmitinstruction issued with regard to the image data. This processing isexecuted as detailed in FIG. 6. It is to be noted that the historyrecord data contain data specifying the recipient, e.g., thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37, and the transmissioncondition data. It is also to be noted that the history record data arestored into the storage unit 27 during the storage image data processingexecuted in step S96.

Immediately after completing the transmission processing executed totransmit the data to the image server 30, processing for transmittingthe storage image data generated through the sub-sampling processing(equivalent to step S35 in FIG. 5) which is part of the storage imagedata processing executed in step S96 and the transmission condition datato the recipient, e.g., the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus37 is started in step S99, and then the operation enters a standby statein step S100. This transmission processing is basically identical to thetransmission processing executed to transmit the data to the imageserver detailed in FIG. 6, except that the processing is executed totransmit the data to a different recipient.

It is to be noted that the operation shifts from step S98 to step S99when a successful connection with the image server 30 cannot beestablished in step S98 and the “intermittent call” is set in step S62as well as when the transmission processing executed to transmit thedata to the image server 30 in step S98 is completed. Namely, theprocessing in step S99 may be executed by making the most of the waitperiod elapsing until a call to the image server 30 is originated nextwhen the “intermittent call” is set.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S92 that the transmitinstruction has been issued while an image is on full screen display atthe large screen display unit 3, the transmit instruction has obviouslybeen issued following processing executed in response to a viewinterrupt. Namely, the processing shown in FIG. 5 has already beenexecuted to direct the transmission of the corresponding original imagedata to the image server and the storage image data processing. Inaddition, the storage image data compressed in step S36 in FIG. 5 areheld at the control/processing unit 26. Accordingly, the operation skipsdirectly to step S97. In step S98, history record data with regard tothe transmission including the transmission conditions alone aretransmitted to the image server 30. Whenever a new history record istransmitted to the image server 30, the history record data with thesame contents are also stored into the storage unit 27. This principleapplies at all times in the implementation of the invention. Uponcompleting the processing in step S98, the compressed storage image dataare transmitted to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37or the like together with the transmission conditions in step S99.

If it is decided in step S92 that the user was not viewing an image onfull screen display at the time of the transmit instruction and also itis decided in step S93 that the storage image data corresponding to theselected thumbnail image are already stored at the storage unit 27, thestorage data are read out from the storage unit 27 in step S101 beforethe operation proceeds to step S97. In addition, a history recordindicating that an instruction to transmit the storage data having beenread out has been issued is stored together with data indicating therecipient and the transmission conditions into the storage unit 27. Instep S98, identical history record data with regard to the transmitinstruction are also transmitted to the image server 30. In step S99,the storage image data read out in step S101 are transmitted to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 or the like while in thecompressed state, together with the transmission conditions.

FIG. 9 presents a detailed flowchart of the transmission conditionsetting operation executed in step S97 in FIG. 8, during whichtransmission data indicating utilization conditions which are to betransmitted to the image server 30 and the recipienttelephone-integrated image storage apparatus are generated based uponthe settings selected through the operation unit 21 prior to thetransmission. The following is an explanation of the flowchart presentedin FIG. 9, given in reference to an example in which the storage imagedata are transmitted from the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37.

After the processing flow starts in step S106 in FIG. 9, a verificationis executed in step S107 to ascertain whether or not a setting thatallows the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 to access thecorresponding original image data at the image server 30 based upon thereceived storage image data has been selected. If the access enablingsetting has been selected, access right data are generated in step S108.These data are transmitted as transmission data to the image server 30and the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37, and are alsostored into the history record unit 34 at the image server 30. Withoutthese access data, the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37calling the image server 30, is denied access to the correspondingoriginal data.

If the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 has the accessright, the operation proceeds to step S109 to execute a verification toascertain whether or not a setting which allows the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 to request that the corresponding originalimage data at the image server 30 be printed based upon the receivedstorage image data has been selected. If the print request enablingsetting has been selected, high quality image print right data aregenerated in step S110 before the operation proceeds to step S111. Thehigh quality image print right thus generated are transmitted astransmission data to the image server 30 and the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 and are also stored into the history recordunit 34 at the image server 30. If it is decided in step S109 that theprint request enabling setting has not been selected, the operationproceeds directly to step S111. It is to be noted that if no highquality image print right data are generated, the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 is only allowed to perform a quick imageprinting operation on its own by using the received storage image data.

In step S111, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not asetting which allows the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37to access the corresponding original image data at the image server 30and edit the original image data through a function of the image serverbased upon the received storage image data has been selected. If theedit enabling setting has been selected, edit right data are generatedin step S112 before the operation proceeds to step S113. The edit rightdata thus generated are transmitted as transmission data to the imageserver 30 and the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 andare also stored into the history record unit 34 at the image server 30.These edit right data allow the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 37 to store the edited image as new original image data intothe image unit 33 at the image server 30. If it is decided in step S111that the edit enabling setting has not been selected, the operationproceeds directly to step S113. It is to be noted that if no edit rightdata have been generated, the original image data corresponding to thereceived storage image data cannot be altered from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37.

In step S113, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not asetting which allows the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37to access and download the corresponding original image data at theimage server 30 based upon the received storage image data has beenselected. If the download enabling setting has been selected, down loadright data are generated in step S114 before the operation proceeds tostep S115. The download right data thus generated are transmitted astransmission data to the image server 30 and the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 and are also stored into the history recordunit 34 at the image server 30. These download right data allow thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 to obtain the originalimage data themselves to subsequently utilize them freely. If it isdecided in step S113 that the download enabling setting has not beenselected, the operation proceeds directly to step S115. It is to benoted that if no download right data have been generated, thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 cannot obtain theoriginal image data.

In step S115, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not asetting that allows the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37to transfer the received storage image data together with any of thevarious rights set for the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus37 to another telephone integrated storage apparatus has been selected.It is to be noted that this setting can be individually selected foreach of the various rights. If a setting which allows at least one ofthe rights explained above to be transferred has been selected, rightsinclusive transfer right data are generated in correspondence to theindividual rights in step S116 before the processing flow ends in stepS117. It is to be noted that the right-inclusive transfer right datathus generated are transmitted as transmission data to the image server30 and the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 and are alsostored into the history record unit 34 at the image server 30. If thereceived storage image data are transferred together with theright-inclusive transfer rights data, the transfer recipienttelephone-integrated image storage apparatus, too, is allowed to accessthe image server to utilize the original image data as achievablethrough the rights having been set, as is the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 37. If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S115that a setting which allows a right-inclusive transfer has not beenselected with regard to any of the rights, the operation proceedsdirectly to step S117 to end the processing flow. It is to be noted thatif no right-inclusive transfer right data have been generated, therights set at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 remainexclusive to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37.

While authorizing a recipient to exercise various rights by selectingspecific settings as described above is effective when images areexchanged between individual users who know each other well, it isparticularly advantageous in an application in which digital images areoffered to paying customers as products. By offering various rights indifferent combinations and in a wide variety of business models, smoothdistribution of digital images can be achieved.

FIG. 10 presents a flowchart of the operation executed when an editinterrupt is applied. The edit interrupt is applied in response to aninstruction issued through the operation unit 21 to indicate that theimage currently being viewed is to be edited and the processing flowstarts in step S121. Since the edit operation is executed by usingfunctions of the image server 30, processing is executed in step S122 toestablish a continuous connection between the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 and the image server 30. Details of this processingare similar to those of the processing executed in steps S51 through S55in FIG. 6. Once a connection with the image server is established, averification is executed in step S123 to ascertain whether or not theimage to be edited is a self-originated image provided by thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 itself to the imageserver 30. If it is decided that the image to undergo the editprocessing is not a self originated image, original image datacorresponding to storage image data received from anothertelephone-integrated image storage apparatus are to undergo the editprocessing, and accordingly, a verification is executed in step S124 toascertain whether or not the setting that confers the edit right on thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 has been selected. If itis decided that the edit right has been granted, the operation proceedsto step S125. If it is decided in step S123 that a self generated imageis to undergo the edit processing, the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 naturally has the edit right and accordingly, theoperation proceeds directly to step S125.

In step S125, with the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25and the image server 30 in state of continuous connection, a desiredediting effect is rendered onto the original image data at the imageserver 30 through the edit functions of the image server 30 by operatingthe operation unit 21 while monitoring the image displayed at the largescreen display unit 3. In step S126, a verification is executed toascertain whether or not an instruction to save the editing results hasbeen issued through the operation unit 21. If the save instruction hasbeen issued, the operation proceeds to execute save processing in stepS127. During the save processing, the editing results are stored as neworiginal image data into the image unit 33 at the image server 30 andalso, the corresponding editing results displayed at the large screendisplay unit 3 of the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25are stored as corresponding new storage image data into the storage unit27. Once the save processing is completed, the operation proceeds tostep S128. It is to be noted that if it is decided in step S126 that nosave instruction has been issued, the operation proceeds directly tostep S128.

In step S128, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not anedit processing complete operation has been executed at the operationunit 21, and if it is decided that the edit processing has beencompleted, the operation proceeds to step S129. If, on the other hand,it is decided that the edit processing has not been completed yet, theoperation returns to step S125 and subsequently, the processing in stepS125 through step S128 is repeatedly executed until the edit processingis completed.

In step S129, storage processing is executed to store an editing record.During this processing, the editing history record is stored into thehistory record unit at the image server 30 and an identical historyrecord is also stored into the storage unit 27 at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25. Upon completing theediting history record storage processing, the operation proceeds tostep S130 to cut off the continuous connection with the image server 30before the operation enters a standby state in step S131. If, on theother hand, it is decided in step S124 that the edit right has not beengranted, the operation skips directly to step S130 to immediately cutoff the continuous connection with the image server 30.

FIG. 11 is a chart of the structure of the data at the image unit 33 ofthe large capacity storage unit 32 in the image server 30. Each set ofdata is constituted of an “image ID”, “header portion data”, “originalimage data” and “thumbnail data”. The “image ID” is assigned in theorder in which the specific image has been received so as to enable theinternal management of images at the image server 30. The data in FIG.11 were entered at the image unit 33 a period from Oct. 15, 2001 throughOct. 23, 2001.

“file No.” in the “header portion data” is automatically attached toeach received image, with the first four digits of the “file No.”indicating the registration number of the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus from which the image was provided, e.g., “1234”representing the registration number of the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the image assignedwith “ID 4” with the initial four digits in the “file No.” indicating“1234” was provided by the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus25. In addition, the first four digits “1231” in the “file No.” of thedata corresponding to “ID 1” constitute the registration number of thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37. The initial four digits“1237” in the “file No.” of the data corresponding to “ID 7” constitutethe registration number of a third telephone-integrated image storageapparatus (not shown).

In addition, the subsequent six digits in the “file No.” indicate thedate. For instance, “011015” in the “file No.” corresponding to “ID 1”indicate “Oct. 15, 2001”. The next two digits in the “file No.” indicatethe order in which the corresponding image was received on a particularday, and, for instance, “01” in the “file No.” corresponding to “ID 1”indicate that the corresponding image was the first image received fromthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 on Oct. 15, 2001.

The “file No.” attached to a given set of original image data by theimage server based upon the numbering rules described above isimmediately transmitted back to the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus to be attached to the corresponding storage image data andstored at the storage unit 27 as well to be used to identify the imagewhen handling the image data or managing the history recordssubsequently.

It is to be noted that while the “file No.” is constituted as acombination of the registration number of the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus, the date of image reception and the image number, theimage may instead be managed by generating another type of headerportion data constituted of the registration number of thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus and the data of the imagereception separately from the “file No.” and by combining thesedifferent types of data to identify the image data.

As mentioned earlier, image data resulting from editing a given set oforiginal image data, too, are stored as new “original image data” at theimage server 30. Then, the “file No.” of the original image havingundergone the edit processing is entered as information into an “editobject” field in the “header portion data”, as in ID 10 and ID 11. Theimage data with “ID10” provided by the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25, were obtained by altering the image datacorresponding to “ID 1” initially provided by the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37 through edit processing. The image data with“ID 11”, on the other hand, were obtained by editing the image datacorresponding to “ID 4” originating at the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 itself. It is to be noted that the image datacorresponding to “ID 1” through “ID 9” and “ID 12” through “ID 21” areunedited true original images, and accordingly, “O” indicating“original” is entered in the “edit object” field of the “header portiondata” corresponding to each of these ID numbers.

In an “other” field of the “header portion data”, other header portioninformation needed for data management is entered, the original imagedata in a compressed state are entered in an “original image data” fieldand the thumbnail image data are entered in a “thumbnail data” field.

FIG. 12 is a chart of the structure of the data stored at the historyrecord unit 34 of the large capacity storage unit 32 in the image server30. Each set of data shown in FIG. 12 includes a “history record ID”, an“operation date”, a “file No.”, a “classification”, an “operator”, a“partner” and “conditions”. The data in FIG. 12 were entered at thehistory record unit 34 at the of the image server 30 over a periodbetween Oct. 16, 2001 through Oct. 18, 2001.

Among the history record IDs, the italicized “ID 3” through “ID 6”, “ID8”, “ID 11” “ID 12”, “ID 17” and “ID 18” respectively correspond to theimage IDs 3 through 11 in FIG. 11, assigned to images newly stored intothe image server 30. Accordingly, their operation dates match the datesindicated in the respective “file Nos.”. In addition, in the“classification” field, the specific operation that resulted in thestorage of each set of image data is indicated. For instance, “ID 4”through “ID 6” each indicate that the corresponding image data weretransmitted to the image server 30 in response to a viewing operationinitiated at the operation unit 21 and were stored into the image unit33. The image data corresponding to “ID 11” were transmitted to theimage server in response to a quick image printing operation and theimage data corresponding to “ID 17” were transmitted to the image serverin response to an operation at the operation unit 21 performed to editthe image data. In the “operator” field, the instigator of the operationis indicated in correspondence to each set of image data, and forinstance, the history record with “ID 3” indicates that the operationwas instigated at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25.

In addition, if image data are newly stored in response to atransmission operation as indicated in the history record with “ID 8”,the recipient of the transmitted data is recorded in the “partner”field. In the case of “ID 8”, the image data were transmitted from athird telephone-integrated image storage apparatus to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25. The transmissionconditions are recorded in the “conditions” field, and “not allowed”entered in this field indicates that no rights to access the originalimage data at the image server 30 have been granted.

The history record IDs which are not italicized in FIG. 12 correspond tohistory records of subsequent operations executed on image data havingalready been stored. For instance, the history record corresponding to“ID 1” indicates that the original image data “12301101501” having beenstored into the image unit on Oct. 15, 2001 were then viewed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 on Oct. 16, 2001. Inaddition, the history record corresponding to “ID 2” indicates that thesame image data were then transmitted to the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25 on the same day. The history record correspondingto “ID 2” also indicates that when the image data were transmitted, thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 conferred the highquality image print right and the edit right on the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 25.

Among the history records shown in FIG. 12, the history recordspertaining to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, i.e.,the records except for “ID 1” and “ID 3”, were also stored into thestorage unit 27 of the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25itself.

In addition, of the history records shown in FIG. 12, the historyrecords pertaining to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus37, i.e., records corresponding to “ID 1” through “ID 3”, “ID 9”, “ID10” and “ID 17”, were also stored into the storage unit at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37. The history records “ID9” and “ID 10”, which pertain to operations performed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, are stored into thestorage unit at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 aswell since the corresponding image data were initially provided by thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37. While the historyrecord with “ID 17” pertains to an image provided by thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, the image was firstoriginated from the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 andthen was edited, as indicated in data corresponding to “ID 10” in FIG.11.

As described above, a plurality of telephone-integrated image storageapparatuses are able to share image data exchanged via the image server30 and in addition, share the history records indicating how the imagedata have been handled via the image server 30. This means that theplurality of telephone-integrated image storage apparatus are allowed toshare an image database and history record data. As long as a giventelephone-integrated image storage apparatus is part of the history of aset of image data, the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus canobtain the most recent handling record information by accessing thehistory record unit 34 at the image server 30 even if the data was notdirectly involved in an exchange of the data and the data resulted froman operation at another telephone-integrated image storage apparatus.

Images can be searched efficiently based upon history records stored atthe history record unit 32 of the image server 30 or at the storage unitof the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus itself. FIG. 13presents a flowchart of the operation executed when a search interruptis applied. The search interrupt is applied in response to aninstruction indicating that specific storage image data are to besearched at the storage unit 27 issued through the operation unit 21,and the flow of the search interrupt starts in step S136. In step S137,processing is executed through the operation unit 21 to set searchconditions while monitoring the display at the large screen display unit3.

Once the search conditions are set, a verification is executed in stepS138 to ascertain whether or not the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 25 is currently connected with the image server 30. If thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 is not currentlyconnected with the image server 30, a call is originated in step S139 toestablish a telephone connection with the image server 30. In step S140,a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not a predeterminedlength of time has elapsed after originating the call, and if it isdecided that the predetermined length of time has not yet elapsed, averification is executed in step S141 to ascertain whether or not atelephone connection has been established. If a telephone connection hasnot been established, the operation returns to step S140, andsubsequently, the processing in step S140 and the processing in stepS141 are repeatedly executed until the predetermined length of timeelapses.

If it is decided in step S141 that a telephone connection has beenestablished, the most recent history records are received from thehistory record unit 34 at the image server 30 in step S142 to update thehistory records at the storage unit 27. It is to be noted that if thereare any image data related to image data originally provided by thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, at least thecorresponding header portion data are also received and stored into thestorage unit 27 at this time. Then, in step S143, the connection withthe image server 30 is cut off.

In step S144, search execution processing is executed based upon theheader portion data of the image data and the history record data at thestorage unit 27 and the search conditions set in step S137, and theresults of the search execution processing are displayed at the largescreen display unit 3. In addition, processing is executed in step S145to store a search history record that includes the results of thesearch. More specifically, the new search history record is stored intothe storage unit 27 at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus25 and also, a similar search history record is transmitted astransmission data to the image server 30 through processing executed asshown in FIG. 6 to update the history records at the history record unit34. Subsequently, the operation enters a standby state in step S146 towait for an operation to be executed through the operation unit 21 inresponse to the search results.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S140 that the predeterminedlength of time has elapsed without successfully establishing a telephoneconnection, the operation proceeds to step S147 to use the headerportion data in the image data and the history record data currentlystored at the storage unit 27 for the search instead of attempting toupdate the data with the most recent history record data from the imageserver 30. Then, based upon the available data, the search is executedin step S144.

FIG. 14 presents a list of search-related history record data, and eachset of history record data in FIG. 14 includes the “search conditions”set in step S137 in FIG. 13 and the results of the “search executionprocessing” executed in step S144 in FIG. 13, as well as informationindicating the “search ID”, the “search date” and the “search conductor”corresponding to the specific search.

The history record data with the search ID 1 pertain to a searchconducted by the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 on Oct.19, 2001. The search conditions stipulate that there are history recorddata dated_Oct. 16, 2001 with regard to the search target, that thehistory record does not indicate “print” and that the history recordrelates to an operation performed at the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25. Two sets of image data, i.e., file No.“123401101601” and file No. “123401101603” were extracted by searchingthrough the header portion data in the image information in FIG. 11 andthe history record data shown in FIG. 12. While the history record datadated Oct. 16, 2001 in FIG. 12 include those with history record IDs 1through 8, and there are only three images handled through operations atthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25, “ID 4” through “ID7”. Since the image assigned with the file No. “123401101602” amongthose three images was “printed” as its history record indicates andthus was excluded, and ultimately, the search results were obtained asindicated in FIG. 14.

The search records with “ID 2” and “ID3” in FIG. 14 indicate that thesame two images related to each other, one pre-edit image and the otherpost-edit image, were extracted by conducting a search either from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 or from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37.

The search record with “ID4” in FIG. 14 pertains to a search for imagedata which were either received or edited at the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 25 with any history record data entered betweenAug. 1, 2001 and Oct. 21, 2001.

The search record with “ID5” in FIG. 14 pertains to a search for imagedata that the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 receivedtogether with the print right from the second or thirdtelephone-integrated image storage apparatus. These search conditionsexcluded “123701101601” with regard to which the correspondingtransmission conditions stipulated that no right to access the originalimage data at the image server 30 was granted from the search.

The search record with “ID6” in FIG. 14 pertains to a search of imageshaving undergone a quick image print by the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 25, and since the search conditions further restrictedthe search target to image data with a history record indicating anoperation date on or after Oct. 18, 2001, “123101101501” with regard towhich an operation was performed before October 18 was excluded.

The search record with “ID7” in FIG. 14 pertains to a search of imagedata conducted based upon a record indicating that an outside print wasexecuted from the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 25 on orbefore Dec. 31, 1998.

The search record with “ID8” in FIG. 14 pertains to a search of imagedata having been viewed at and transmitted from the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 37, and “123101101601” which was only used forviewing was excluded from the search.

As described above, extraction of desired image data can be facilitatedby setting appropriate search conditions with regard to the headerportion data in the image data shown in FIG. 11 and the history recorddata shown in FIG. 12, even based upon a fairly vague memory of pastoperations and the like.

Furthermore, a record of such a search itself can be subsequentlyutilized as history record data. For instance, the history recordindicating that two sets of image data, i.e., file Nos. “123401101601”and “123401101603”, were extracted as a result of the searchcorresponding to the search ID 1 in FIG. 14 is included in the historyrecords with “ID 13” and “ID14” in FIG. 12. Accordingly, it is possibleto conduct a search at a later date based upon the user's memory of a“search conducted between a pair of dates from the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 25” and, at the same time, an even more specificsearch can be conducted by selecting detailed search conditionsindicated in the search record data shown in FIG. 14 as searchconditions for the new search.

As described above, the past operation history records are automaticallyaccumulated as search keys without having to attach special search keysor classifications to image data and thus, the foundation of thedatabase search functions is not undermined even by negligence on thepart of the user during a data storage operation.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of thesystem achieved in the second embodiment of the present invention andthe same reference numerals are assigned to components similar to thosein the first embodiment in FIG. 2 to preclude the necessity for arepeated explanation thereof. In addition, since the image server 30 inFIG. 15 adopt a structure completely identical to that of the imageserver in FIG. 2, a detailed illustration of its internal components isnot included except for the communication unit 31. A storage input unit51 in FIG. 15 is an integrated unit that includes the card slot 17 andthe digital terminal 18 in FIG. 2, and its details are identical tothose of the card slot 17 and the digital terminal 18.

The system achieved in the second embodiment in FIG. 15, includes abusiness server 52 which can be connected to the image server 30, thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 37 and atelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 via a communication unit53. At the business server 52, commercial images 55 are accumulated and,at the same time, advertising messages 56 with regard to utilization andthe like of the images 55 are also stored. At an advertising messagestorage unit 57 of the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54,advertising messages 56 received from the business server 52 via thecommunication unit 29 are stored into memory. The advertising messagesare then reproduced at the large screen display unit 3 and also,depending upon the situation, through the speakers 7 under controlimplemented by a control/processing unit 58.

In the configuration described above, the business server 52 connectswith the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 or the like ona regular basis, e.g., weekly, in accordance with a CM contract toupdate to the advertising messages at the advertising message storageunit 57. In addition, the advertising messages at the advertisingmessage storage unit 57 can be updated through a connection initiatedfrom the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 as explainedlater. When the business server 52 is connected with thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54, the business server 52executes processing to pay an advertisement reception bonus to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 based upon the resultsof the bill processing to be detailed later.

FIG. 16 presents a flowchart of a CM interrupt executed in the secondembodiment and an explanation is given on the function of thecontrol/processing unit 58 related to the advertising message handlingin reference to the flowchart. The CM interrupt in FIG. 16 is appliedunder the following circumstances. The CM interrupt is typically appliedin response to a manual CM interrupt operation performed at theoperation unit 21. While this operation may be performed whenever theuser wishes, it is particularly useful to apply the CM interrupt whenthe user is put on hold during a phone call originated by the user andthus, the a call for which user is paying. As detailed later, if theuser applies a CM interrupt and reproduces advertisements during atelephone call for which the user is paying, the business server 52 paysan advertisement reception bonus to the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 54 in correspondence to the telephone chargecorresponding to the length of time over which the advertisements arereproduced. This means that the business server purchases the time overwhich the user is put on hold during a telephone call for which the useris paying and the user can save on his telephone bills by takingadvantage of the system. With a business model configured as describedabove, the business server 52 can provide an incentive for the user ofthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 to receiveadvertising messages.

In addition, instead of applying the CM interrupt through a manualoperation as described above, the CM interrupt may be appliedautomatically by detecting silence during a telephone call or an on-holdstate signaled by an on-hold chime sound transmitted from the otherparty during a phone call.

After the CM interrupt flow starts in step S151, numerous advertisingmessages stored in the advertising message storage unit are shuffled todetermine the order of reproduction and an advertisement reproduction isstarted with the advertising message first in line in step S152. Theadvertising messages are shuffled so as to change the reproduction orderrandomly each time for novelty and also so as to allow an opportunityfor a given advertising message to be exposed many times.

In step S153, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not theCM interrupt has been applied while the user is being charged for aphone call. If it is decided that the user is being charged for a phonecall, the unit time rate for the telephone call corresponding to and thelocation of the other party is checked and recorded in step S154. If, onthe other hand, it is decided in step S153 that the user is not beingcharged for a telephone call, the operation skips step S154.

In step S155, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not aninstruction to end the advertisement reproduction has been issued. Thisend instruction is issued as the user manually operates the operationunit 21 when the other party comes back on line, terminating the on-holdstate. Alternatively, an end instruction may be automatically issued bydetecting that the telephone has exited a silent state or that there isno longer the on-hold chime sound transmitted from the other party.

If it is decided in step S155 that an end instruction has not beenissued, the operation proceeds to step S156 to execute a verification asto whether or not an instruction to switch advertising messages has beenissued. This switch instruction is issued by the user by manuallyoperating the operation unit 21. If it is decided in step S156 that aswitch instruction has not been issued, it means that the user wishes tokeep viewing the same advertisement and, accordingly, the operationreturns to step S155. Subsequently, the processing in step S155 and theprocessing in step S156 are repeatedly executed until an end instructionor a switch instruction is issued.

If it is decided in step S156 that a switch instruction has been issued,the operation proceeds to step S157 to execute a verification as towhether or not the switch instruction has been issued within apredetermined length of time after the reproduction of the particularadvertising message started. The specific length of time may be, forinstance, approximately 2 seconds. If the switch instruction has beenissued within the predetermined length of time, it means an advertisingmessage was reproduced for the first time but the user has no interestin the advertising message or that the advertising message has beenpreviously reproduced and the user does not wish to view it again. Ineither case, the user does not wish to have the advertising messagereproduced any longer. Accordingly, the operation proceeds to step S158to attach a “cancel mark” to the advertising message, and then, theoperation shifts into step S159 to reproduce the next advertisingmessage. It is to be noted that the advertising message appended withthe “cancel mark” is subsequently excluded when the advertising messagesare shuffled in step S152 to determine the reproduction order at theparticular telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54. If, on theother hand, it is decided in step S157 that the switch instruction hasbeen issued within the predetermined length of time, the operationproceeds to step S159 without attaching a “cancel mark” to theadvertising message since there is a likelihood of the user wanting toview the message again.

In step S160, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not anend instruction has been issued, and if it is decided that an endinstruction has not been issued, the operation returns to step S155.Subsequently, the processing from step S155 through step S160 isrepeatedly executed until an end instruction is issued. Once an endinstruction is issued, the operation shifts to step S161 to count thelength of advertising time period elapsing between the CM interruptstart and the end instruction and a length of advertising time periodthus counted is recorded. It is to be noted that if it is decided instep S155 that an end instruction has been issued while the processingin step S155 and the processing in step S156 are being repeatedlyexecuted in standby for a switch instruction to be verified in stepS156, the operation promptly skips to step S161.

After obtaining the time count information in step S161, the operationproceeds to step S162 to execute cancel request processing. In thecancel request processing, a verification is executed to ascertainwhether or not there is any advertising message having been appendedwith a cancel mark in step S158, and if it is decided that there is anadvertising message appended with a cancel mark, a request is issued toreplace the advertising message having the cancel mark with a newadvertising message by promptly connecting with the business server 52.Since this processing benefits the business server 52, the telephonecharge for connecting with the business server 52 under thesecircumstances is covered by the business server 52 on a pay-on-deliverybasis.

Once the arrangement for the processing in step S162 is completed, thebill processing is executed in step S163. In the bill processing, a billis calculated based upon the unit time rate information recorded in stepS154 and the length of the advertising time period recorded in stepS161. Then, when the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 isconnected with the business server the next time, the business server 52is billed for the payment. While the benefits accrued by the businessserver by persuading the user to view advertising messages areunaffected whether the unit time rate is high or low, the business modeldescribed above is designed to psychologically increase the user'sincentive to apply a CM interrupt during a phone call for which he ispaying. Once the bill processing is underway, the operating flow entersa standby state in step S164. It is to be noted that the CM interruptmay be applied anytime, e.g., during a phone call initiated by the otherparty or when no telephone call is in progress, and the unit time rateis not recorded in step S154 in either of these cases. Under suchcircumstances, the unit time rate is regarded to be zero and the billprocessing in step S163 is not executed.

It is to be noted that since the ultimate objective of the businessserver 52 is to ensure that the advertising messages are viewed by usersunder a variety of circumstances, a business model that offers extraincentive for applying a CM interrupt by rewarding users withadvertisement reception bonuses for viewing advertising messages evenwhen they are not being charged for the telephone connection may beadopted as well. In this business model, a mode of implementationdifferent from that described above should be adopted so that it isassumed that a unit time rate matching a predetermined monetary valuehas been actually recorded even when no time unit rate has been recordedin step S154 so that the billing is executed accordingly in step S163.It is to be noted that this “predetermined monetary value” should be setso that it is clearly lower than the minimum unit time rate fortelephone calls, in order to assure that the intention of the originalincentive, i.e., when the user views advertisements, the on-hold timeperiod which is normally wasted during a paid telephone call can bepurchased by the business server remains effective.

If a customer requests a commercial image 55 in response to anadvertising message, the business server 52 provides the image to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 for a fee. In thissituation, the customer operating the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 54 may be a business operator who uses images instead of aregular user. In addition, a business model in which commercial imagesare distributed from the image server 30 to the business server 52 in atie-in between the image server 30 and the business server 52 may beadopted as well. In such an application, the image server 30 may saveimages originating from commercial image creators as well as images fromregular users. Under such circumstances, the customer operating thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 54 may be a commercialimage creator. It is to be noted that the advertising messages 56provided by the business server 52 do not need to advertise only imageproducts and advertising messages may pertain to all types of generalproducts.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration adopted inthe system in the third embodiment of the present invention, with thesame reference numerals assigned to components identical to those in thefirst embodiment shown in FIG. 2 to preclude the necessity for arepeated explanation thereof. In addition, while the camera unit 4, theaudio unit 22, the speakers 7, the microphone 8 and the power supplyunit 23 are also included in the third embodiment, their illustration isomitted in FIG. 17. It is to be noted that since a secondtelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103 adopts a structureidentical to that of a telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101,the structural elements of the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 103 other than its communication unit 38 are not shown in thefigure for simplification.

The third embodiment, which basically adopts a structure similar to thatof the first embodiment, is characterized in that a mail softwareprogram that enables electronic mailing on the Internet is utilized tostore and transmit storage image data and also to correlate the storageimage data to the original image data.

A mail software program 106 is installed at a hard disk 105 of a storageunit 104 in the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101, andstorage image data are stored into the hard disk 105 as an attachmentfile of a mail file in the mail software program 106. At the hard disk105, a history record software program 107 is also installed to be usedto manage the storage of a history record or the like of an operationexecuted on a mail file displayed at the large screen display unit 3through the operation unit 21. The functions of the mail softwareprogram 106, the history record software program 107 and the like areprocessed by a control/processing unit 108.

A large capacity storage unit 109 at an image server 102 includes alarge capacity hard disk 110 at which an image storage software program111 that manages the storage of original image data and the like, arecord software program 112 adopting a format matching that of thehistory record software program 107 at the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 101 and an editing software program 113 are installed.At the hard disk 110 of the image server 102, a mail software program114 adopting a format matching that of the history record softwareprogram 107 at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101 isalso installed to be used to create storage image data in correspondenceto original image data newly stored into the image storage softwareprogram 111, attach the storage image data to a mail file and transmitthe mail file to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101.Thus, while the image server 102 has a function of creating storageimage in the third embodiment other functions achieved in the thirdembodiment are basically identical to those of the first embodiment,

It is to be noted that a basic software program 115 at the image storageapparatus is directly operated by the user at the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 101 described above, and no screen display ofthe mail software program 106 or the history record software program 107is brought up at the large screen display unit 3 except for individualmail files. For this reason, during the actual operation, the user doesnot need to open the mail software program 106 or the history recordsoftware program 107 for each specific operation and is only required toperform operations through the basic software program 107 which isbrought up on display. In response to the user operations, the basicsoftware program automatically operates the mail software program 106and the history record software program 107 as instructed by the user.

FIGS. 18 through 20 show the layouts of display screens brought up ondisplay at the large screen display unit 3 in the third embodiment. Thefollowing is an explanation of changes in the display screen layoutoccurring in the third embodiment, given in reference to an example inwhich a storage interrupt is applied as a memory card is inserted at thecard slot 17.

FIG. 18(A) shows the initial screen of the basic software program 115 inFIG. 17, which is automatically displayed as the image storage functionis manually activated or as the storage interrupt is applied asexplained earlier in reference to FIG. 4. The screen shown in FIG.18(A), which is displayed at the large screen display unit 3, includesan information screen 201 and an operation screen 202, with thumbnailimages 203 displayed at the information screen 201. If there are a greatnumber of thumbnail images 203 to be displayed, the screen can bescrolled vertically by selectively operating a scroll button 204 via theoperation unit 21.

In the example, the initial screen shown in FIG. 18(A) is displayed inresponse to the storage interrupt applied by inserting a memory cardand, accordingly a “card” indicator is ON at a data source displayposition 205 of the operation screen 202. In the operation screen 202, aview button 206, a print button 207, a mail button 208, an edit button209 and a search button 210 are displayed and by selectively operatingone of these buttons through the operation unit 21, an interrupt isapplied to enable a desired operation. In addition, as one of thethumbnail images is selected via the operation unit 21 and a deletebutton 211 is operated, the corresponding image data are deleted fromthe data source indicated at the data source display position 205. Inthis example, the “card” indicator is ON and, accordingly, thecorresponding image data are deleted from the inserted memory card. Thevarious buttons displayed at the large screen display unit 3 areselectively operated via the operation unit 21 and their operations arenot individually explained. It is to be noted that instead of operatingthe buttons via the operation unit 21 as described above, a graphicaluser interface (GUI) adopting a touch panel system may be used to enablethe user to operate the buttons by directly touching them on the largescreen display unit 3.

As one of the thumbnail images is selected through the operation unit 21and the view button 206 is operated in the screen shown in FIG. 18(A), aview interrupt is applied to bring up the screen shown in FIG. 18(B).The image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image are takenin from the memory card, undergo required processing such asdecompression/sub-sampling and are displayed as an enlarged screen image212 at the information screen 201, as shown in FIG. 18(B). Also, theoriginal image data having been taken in are transmitted to the imageserver 102 and the corresponding storage image data are stored into thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101.

As a forward operation to bring up the next screen is performed with ascreen forward button 213 while the screen shown in FIG. 18(B) is up,the image data corresponding to the next thumbnail image in thearrangement shown in FIG. 18(A) are taken in from the memory card,undergo the required processing such as decompression/sub-sampling andare displayed as an enlarged screen image 212. In addition, the originalimage data are transmitted and the storage image data are stored. It isto be noted that the screen shown in FIG. 18(B) with any enlarged screenimage 212 displayed therein can be brought up by first operating athumbnail button 214 to return to the screen in FIG. 18(A) selecting thedesired thumbnail image and then operating the view button.

The layout of the screen shown in FIG. 18(B), which is up while the useris viewing the image is similar to that of the screen in FIG. 18(A)except that the layout in FIG. 18(B) does not include the view button206, and by operating one of the buttons on display, the image beingviewed can be printed, electronically mailed or edited. In addition, asearch button 210 may be operated to directly jump from the viewingscreen to the search screen, and the delete button 211 may be operatedto delete the image data corresponding to the enlarged screen image 212.

FIG. 19(A) shows the layout of the display of a mail file created withthe mail software program 114 at the image server 102 an transmitted tothe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101. This mail file,having attached thereto storage image data created at the large capacitystorage unit 109 based upon the original image data having beentransmitted to the image server 102 in response to the storageinterrupt, is created immediately in response to the transmission of theoriginal image data to the image server 102 and is transmitted to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101.

The mail file 216 contains a transmission button 217, an address field218, a file name field 219, a message field 220 and the like, with theaddress field left blank and a file No. attached to the original imagedata by the image server 102 automatically entered in the file namefield 219.

In addition, a thumbnail image 221 corresponding to the storage imagedata attached to the mail file 216 is displayed in the message field 220and a quick print button 222, a fine print button 223, an edit button224, a download button 225 and a transfer button 226 are also displayedin the message field 220. The thumbnail and the buttons in the messagefield 220 each constitute a link button. For instance, the thumbnailimage 221 also functions as a link button used to link with the storageimage data attached to the mail file and as the thumbnail image 221 isclicked, the storage image data are opened and displayed in anenlargement.

The link functions of the other buttons are individually describedbelow. First, as the quick print button 222 is clicked, a quick printingoperation is started by using the storage imaged it to attached to themail file. As the fine print button 223 is clicked, a connection withthe image server 102 is established and a printing operation is startedat the high quality image printing unit 36 by using the correspondingoriginal image data in the image storage software program 111.Furthermore, in response to a click of the edit button 224, too, aconnection with the image server 102 is established and the editingsoftware program for the corresponding original image data is started upin the image storage software program 111. In addition, in response to aclick of the download button 225, a connection with the image server 102is established to start downloading the corresponding original imagedata in the image storage software program 111. If, on the other hand,the transistor button 226 is clicked, the mail software program 106 atthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101 copies the mailfile and creates a transfer file.

As soon as the mail file in FIG. 19(A) formatted as described above isreceived, the mail software program 106 stores the mail file into thehard disk 105. As a result, when the initial screen shown in FIG. 18(A)is brought up through a manual operation subsequently, “storageapparatus” indicator comes ON at the data source display area 205 andthumbnail images corresponding to the mail files stored in the mailsoftware program 106 are displayed in the layout shown in FIG. 18(A)starting with the thumbnail image corresponding to the mail file mostrecently stored into the mail software program 106. It is to be notedthat if one of the thumbnail images a corresponding to image data havingbeen previously stored in the hard disk 105 is selected and the viewbutton 206 is operated in the screen shown in FIG. 18(A), thecorresponding image data are displayed as an enlarged screen image byadopting the format shown in FIG. 18(B) instead of the mail formatlayout in FIG. 19(A) although the image data were originally stored inthe mail file format. The display formats in this situation only differsfrom FIG. 18(B) in that the “storage apparatus” indicator is ON in thedata source display area 205.

It is to be noted that storage image data transmitted from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103 also adopt a mail fileformat similar to that shown in FIG. 19(A), and as soon as storage imagedata are received they are stored into the hard disk 105 by the mailsoftware program 106. Once the data are stored, they are viewed in thedisplay formats shown in FIGS. 18(A) and 18(B), as described above.

As described above, as long as the user is operating the basic softwareprogram, image data are not displayed as an image in the original mailfile layout in FIG. 19(A) regardless of whether the image data have beenreceived from the image server 102 or from the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 103.

FIG. 19(B) shows the layout of the display screen brought up as the mailbutton 208 is operated in order to electronically mail the imagecurrently being viewed in the screen shown in FIG. 18(B). A copy of themail file corresponding to the image data having been viewed in thescreen in FIG. 18(B) is displayed as a new mail adopting the mail layoutin FIG. 19(A) in the information screen 201 at the large screen displayunit 3. In this situation, as long as an operation is performed withinthe information screen 201, the function of the mail software program106 is engaged.

The e-mail address of a telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103is entered in the address field and the transmission conditions are setin this state. The transmission conditions are set by deleting from themessage field 220 a button corresponding to a function that the userdoes not with to confer. For instance, if the user is willing to grantprint rights with regard to an image to be transmitted at this time butdoes not wish to grant edit rights, download rights or right-inclusivetransfer right, the user deletes the edit button 224, the downloadbutton 225 and the transfer button 226 from the message field 220. As aresult, as each in the message field is cleared, the links from thesebuttons are canceled, disabling any download of the original image datacorresponding to the received image by the recipient.

Once the mail address is entered and the conditions are set, the useroperates an OK button 227 in the operation screen 202. Without firstoperating the OK button 227, the transmission button 217 cannot beoperated, to prevent an inadvertent transmission of the image databefore deleting any rights the user does not wish to grant. In responseto an operation at the operation unit 217, the transmission of the mailfile starts, and once the transmission is completed, the mail mode endsand the display returns to the immediately preceding screen. In thisexample, the display returns to the screen shown in FIG. 18(B). It is tobe noted that the user may operate a cancel button 228 in the operationscreen 202 without transmitting the image to exit the mail mode.Processing for indicating whether or not the mail being created is to besaved is executed as directed by the mail software program.

As the transmission is executed, the data in the information screen 201in FIG. 19(B) i.e., the data in FIG. 19(A) are transmitted as anelectronic mail to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103via the transmission unit 29 by the mail software program 106. However,since the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103, too, has thebasic software program 115 installed therein, the received image isdisplayed by assuming the layouts shown in FIG. 18(A) and FIG. 18(B) orFIG. 19(B), and the raw original layout shown in FIG. 19(A) is notbrought up on display. Since restrictions have been imposed on therights granted with regard to the received image, the edit button 224,the download button 225 and the transfer button 226 are not displayed atthe telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103 in the displaylayout shown in FIG. 19(B), and the edit button 209 is not displayed inthe layout in FIG. 18(B), either.

It is to be noted that even when the basic software program is notinstalled on the receiving side, the image can be attached andcorresponding link buttons can be set by the display function and thevarious link functions available in a general mail software programformat. In such a case, the data are displayed in the original mail fileformat shown in FIG. 19(A) on the receiving side. In addition, as longas a right has been granted, the corresponding link button is displayedin the message field 220 and thus, the recipient with the download rightis allowed to obtain the original image data by clicking the downloadbutton 225 in FIG. 19(A).

Furthermore, even when the basic software program is not installed onthe receiving side, as described above, images are transmitted byattaching one image to a single mail file and, as a result, a mailfilename, a sender name, a transmission date, a recipient name and areception date are automatically assigned in conformance to the generalpurpose mail software format to each image. Thus, an image search can beconducted by using the mail search function of the general purpose mailsoftware program based upon these data, as well.

FIG. 20(A) shows the layout of the display screen brought up on displayas the print button 207 is operated to print the image being viewed inthe screen shown in FIG. 18(B). Image data identical to those of theenlarged screen image 212 being viewed in the screen in FIG. 18(B) aredisplayed as an enlarged screen image 231 in the information screen 201.In addition, the file No. assigned by the image server 102 isautomatically entered in a file name field 232.

The first three buttons displayed in the operation screen 202 are usedto select a specific type of printing operation. Namely, a quick printbutton 233 operated to select a printing operation executed by using thestorage image data, a high quality image print button 234 operated toselect a printing operation executed within the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus by using the original image data and an outsideprint button 235 operated to select a printing operation executed at theimage server 102 by using the original image data are displayed.However, if the access right is not granted with regard to the targetimage, only the quick printing operation is enabled, and in such a case,only the setting for a quick print is displayed instead of displayingthe three buttons. In addition, if the download right has not beengranted, the high-quality image print button 234 is not displayed, andif the high image quality right has not been granted, the outside printbutton 235 is not displayed.

In the operation screen 202, a print copy quantity setting button 236, aprint paper size setting button 237 and a detail setting button 238operated to open a screen in which more detailed printing conditions canbe set are displayed as well.

Once the various settings are selected in the operation screen 202, theuser operates an execute button 239 to start the printing operation. Theprinting operation can be canceled by operating a cancel button 240.

FIG. 20(B) shows the layout of the display screen brought up on displayas the edit button 209 is operated to edit the image being viewed in thescreen shown in FIG. 18(B). Image data identical to those of theenlarged screen image 212 being viewed in the screen in FIG. 18(B) aredisplayed as an enlarged screen image 241 in the information screen 201.In addition, the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101 entersa state of continuous connection with the image server 102, and theimage server 102 is assigned for the actual execution of the editingoperations directed at the large screen display unit 3.

In the operation screen 202, the various edit buttons 243 to 248corresponding to individual functions of the editing software program113 at the image server 102 are displayed. In addition, a detail settingbutton 249 operated to open an operation screen in which a more detailedediting operation can be executed is included in the display. As theediting operation is completed and an OK button 250 is operated, theedited image is stored by the image storage software program 111 as neworiginal image data before the continuous connection with the imageserver 102 is cut off. The continuous connection with the image server102 can also be cut off by operating a cancel button 251. If theconnection with the image server 102 is cut off by operating the cancelbutton 251, the image being edited is not saved as new original imagedata.

All the operations of the various buttons shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 arestored as history record data in the history record software program 107in the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101. In addition,any operation executed in conjunction with the image server 102 is alsostored into the history record software program 112 as well. The historyrecord software program 107 and the history record software program 112exchange information on a regular basis to share the records with eachother. Namely, a record of operations performed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101 are taken in to theimage server 102 almost simultaneously. A history record related to animage from the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101 which isobtained by the image server 102 following an operation performed at,for instance, the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 103 or ahistory record of an operation executed with a function of the imageserver 102 itself with regard to an image originating from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 101, too, is downloadedfrom the history record software program 112 to the history recordsoftware program 107 almost simultaneously.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration adopted inthe system in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which isbasically similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, including theutilization of operation history records. It differs from the firstembodiment in that a telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 301and a second telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 302 handleimage data in their original form instead of handling storage imagedata. While the illustration presented in FIG. 21 adopts a formatdifferent from that of FIG. 2 so as to clarify the difference, thecorresponding structural features are the same.

It is to be noted that while the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 301 in the fourth embodiment includes structural featurescorresponding to the transceiver unit 20, the video output terminal 39,the digital terminal 18, the camera unit 4, the audio unit 22, thespeakers 7, the microphone 8 and the power supply unit 23 shown in FIG.2, these components are not explained here and FIG. 21 does not includetheir illustration. In addition, while an image server 303, too,includes structural elements corresponding to the large capacity storageunit 32 and the high quality image printing unit 36 in FIG. 2, FIG. 21does not include any illustration of structural elements other than acommunication interface 304 and their explanation is omitted. Since thesecond telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 302 assumes astructure completely identical to that of the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 301, its structural features other than acommunication interface 305 are not shown in FIG. 21 and theirexplanation is omitted.

The operation executed when viewing an image in the fourth embodiment isexplained in reference to FIG. 21. First, as a memory card 306 isinserted at the card slot, thumbnail data in the memory card are outputto a multiplex bus 308 from a card drive 307 within the card slot withpredetermined timing and the output thumbnail data are taken into acontrol/processing unit 309. It is to be noted that at the multiplex bus308, an address bus and a data bus are multiplexed. The thumbnail datahaving been processed at the control processing unit 309 are output tothe multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing, are taken into adisplay buffer 310 and are then displayed at a display unit 311.

As a thumbnail image is selected and an operation indicating that theuser wishes to view the image corresponding to the selected thumbnailimage is performed at an operation unit 312, data corresponding to theoperation are output with predetermined timing to the multiplex bus 308from an operation unit interface 313 and the output data are taken intothe control processing unit 309. In response, the control processingunit 309 issues an instruction for the card drive 307 to output theoriginal image data corresponding to the thumbnail image from the memorycard 306 to the multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing, and theoriginal image data thus output are taken in. Then, the original imagedata having been taken in are decompressed and are output to themultiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing. The output data are takeninto the display buffer 310 and displayed at the display unit 311.

Next, the control processing unit 309 implements control to output thesame original image data again from the memory card 306 to the multiplexbus 308 with predetermined timing, and also, it issues an instructionfor an image storage unit 314 to take in the output original image dataand store them. The control processing unit 309 then implements controlto output the same original image data from the memory card 306 again tothe multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and issues aninstruction for a communication buffer 315 to take in the outputoriginal image data. In response to an instruction issued by the controlprocessing unit 309, the original image data having been taken into thecommunication buffer 315 are transmitted to the communication interface304 at the image server 303 via a communication interface 316.

It is to be noted that while the original image data are output from thememory card 306 to the multiplex bus 308 three times in succession inthe explanation given above, the entire output may be completed all atonce. Namely, as the original image data to be taken into the controlprocessing unit 309 are output from the memory card to the multiplex bus308, the original image data may also be taken into the image storageunit 314 and the communication buffer 315 concurrently. This principlealso applies when printing an image and transmitting an image asdetailed below.

Next, the operation executed to print an image in the fourth embodimentis explained. As one of the thumbnail images displayed at the displayunit 311 is selected and an operation indicating that the user wishes toprint the image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image isperformed at the operation unit 312, the data corresponding to theoperation are output with predetermined timing to the multiplex bus 308from the operation unit interface 313 and the output data are taken intothe control processing unit 309. In response, the control processingunit 309 issues an instruction for the card drive 307 to output theoriginal image data corresponding to the thumbnail image from the memorycard 306 to the multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and theoriginal image data thus output are taken in. Then, the original imagedata having been taken in are decompressed and are output to themultiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and the output data aretaken into a print buffer 317 and are printed at a printing unit 318.

Next, the control processing unit 309 implements control to output thesame original image data again from the memory card 306 to the multiplexbus 308 with predetermined timing, and also, it issues an instructionfor the image storage unit 314 to take in the output original image dataand store them. The control processing unit 309 then implements controlto output the same original image data from the memory card 306 again tothe multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and issues aninstruction for the communication buffer 315 to take in the outputoriginal image data. In response to an instruction issued by the controlprocessing unit 309, the original image data having been taken into thecommunication buffer 315 are transmitted to the communication interface304 at the image server 303 via the communication interface 316.

Now, the operation executed to transmit an image in the fourthembodiment is explained. As one of the thumbnail images displayed at thedisplay unit 311 is selected and an operation indicating that the userwishes to transmit the image corresponding to the selected thumbnailimage to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 305 isperformed at the operation unit 312, data corresponding to the operationare output with predetermined timing to the multiplex bus 308 from anoperation unit interface 313 and the output data are taken into thecontrol processing unit 309. In response, the control processing unit309 issues an instruction for the card drive 307 to output the originalimage data corresponding to the thumbnail image from the memory card 306to the multiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and also issues aninstruction for the image storage unit 314 to take them in for storage.

Next, the control processing unit 309 then implements control to outputthe same original image data from the memory card 306 again to themultiplex bus 308 with predetermined timing and issues an instructionfor the communication buffer 315 to take in the output original imagedata. In response to an instruction issued by the control processingunit 309, the original image data having been taken into thecommunication buffer 315 are transmitted to the communication interface305 at the recipient telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 302and the communication interface 304 at the image server 303 via thecommunication interface 316.

It is to be noted that the original image data will have already beentaken into the image storage unit 314 and the communication buffer 315and the original image data will also have already been transmitted tothe image server 303 from the communication interface 316 if a printingoperation is instructed through the operation unit 312 while theoriginal image data are being viewed at the display unit 311, and thatthe data intake and transmission are not executed again under suchcircumstances. In addition, if a transmission operation is instructedthrough the operation unit 312 under similar circumstances, the originalimage data are not taken into the image storage unit 314 and the imageis only transmitted to the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus305 by skipping the transmission to the image server 303. This principleis similar to that adopted in the first embodiment.

FIG. 22 presents a flowchart of the operation executed by the controlprocessing unit 309 when a transmission interrupt is applied to transmitimage data to the image server in the fourth embodiment described above.The image server transmission interrupt is applied each time neworiginal image data are output to the multiplex bus 308 shown in FIG.21. In addition, the image server transmission interrupt is applied whenit is decided that a predetermined length of time has elapsed since thelast transmission based upon the results of the time count at a timerwhich is to be referred to in the explanation of step S181 later. Whenthe predetermined length of time is set to, for instance, 12 hours,original image data directed to batch transmission processing in stepS174 to be explained later are transmitted to the image server 303 atleast twice a day regardless of the volume of accumulated data or thenumber of sets of accumulated data.

After the transmission interrupt flow starts in step S171 as thetransmission interrupt is applied to transmit data to the image server,a verification is executed in step S172 to ascertain whether or not thetelephone integrated image storage apparatus 301 is currently connectedwith the image server 303. If it is decided that it is not currentlyconnected with the image server 303, a verification is executed in stepS173 to ascertain whether or not the billing contract under which thecommunication system bills the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 301 is a data volume-based billing contracts through which thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 301 is billed based uponthe volume of communicated data. If it is decided that thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 301 is not under a datavolume-based billing contract, it means that the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 301 is to be billed based upon the length ofcommunication time and accordingly, the batch transmission processing isexecuted in step S174 in order to save the communication fee. Throughthe batch transmission processing, a plurality of sets of original imagedata are temporarily saved at the control processing unit 309 for abatch transmission instead of immediately transmitting each set oforiginal image data.

In step S175, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not thecurrent transmission interrupt has resulted in the volume of accumulatedoriginal image data temporarily saved at the control processing unit 309reaching a predetermined volume. if it is decided that the volume of theaccumulated data has not reached the predetermined volume, anotherverification is executed in step S176 to ascertain whether or not thenumber of sets of accumulated original image data has reached apredetermined value. If it is decided that the number of sets ofaccumulated original image data has not reached the predetermined value,a verification is executed in step S177 to ascertain whether or not thecurrent image server transmission interrupt has been applied after thepredetermined length of time elapsed on the timer.

If it is decided in step S177 that the transmission interrupt hasresulted from the predetermined length of time having elapsed at thetimer, the original image data is set for batch transmission processingand are transferred in a batch to the communication buffer 315 from thecontrol processing unit 309 via the multiplex bus 308 in step S178.Then, in step S179, processing is executed to connect with the imageserver 303. Once a connection is established, the transmission of theoriginal image data starts in step S180. In addition, in step S181, thetimer is reset to clear the time count and start a new time count so asto enable the next image server transmission interrupt to be appliedwhen the predetermined length of time elapses following the currenttransmission. Then, the operation waits in standby in step S182.

If, on the other hand, it is decided in step S172 that thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 301 is currently connectedwith the image server 303 when the transmission interrupt is applied,the operation immediately skips to step S180 to start the transmission.In addition, if it is decided in step S173 that the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 301 is under the data volume-based billingcontract, the communication fee will not be saved by executing the batchtransmission processing, and accordingly, the operation skipsimmediately to step S179 to start the processing to connect with theimage server 303.

Also, if it is decided in step S175 that the volume of the accumulatedor original image data has exceeded the predetermined volume or if it isdecided in step S176 that the number of sets of accumulated originalimage data has exceeded the predetermined value, the operationimmediately skips to step S178 to transfer the original image datahaving been set for batch transmission processing to the communicationbuffer 315 and in step S179, the processing to connect with the imageserver 303 is started.

It is to be noted that the image server transmission interrupt in thefourth embodiment described above may also be applied at a predeterminedtime point (e.g., at 5 am when there is little communication traffic).In such a case, a verification should be executed in step S177 toascertain whether or not the predetermined time point has arrivedresulting in the image server transmission interrupt, as well, and theoperation should proceed to step S178 if an affirmative decision ismade.

Fifth Embodiment

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration adopted inthe system in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 23,the same reference numerals are assigned to elements identical to thosein the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 to preclude the necessity for arepeated explanation thereof. In addition, while the camera unit 4, theaudio processing unit 22, the speakers 7, the microphone 8 and the powersupply unit 23 in FIG. 2 are also included in a telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401 in the fifth embodiment, their illustrationis not included in FIG. 23 and they are not explained repeatedly either.It is to be noted that since a second telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 402 adopts a structure identical to that of thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401, its structuralfeatures other than a communication unit 38 are not included in thefigure for simplification. While a storage unit 404 at an image server403 has a structure identical to that of the large capacity storage unit32 in FIG. 2, it is simply referred to a sa “storage unit” in thedescription of the fifth embodiment and the image unit 33 and thehistory record unit 34 within the storage unit 404 are not shown in thefigure. Also, a printing unit 405 that adopts a structure identical tothat of the high quality image printing unit 36 at the image server 30in FIG. 2 is simply referred to as a “printing unit”. The image server403 communicates with the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus401 and other apparatuses in the system via a communication unit 406similar to the communication unit 31 shown in FIG. 2.

In the fifth embodiment, which basically assumes a structure similar tothat of the first embodiment, images are transmitted from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 to other image serversas well as the image server 403. As examples of the other image servers,a second image server 407 and a third image server 408 are shown in thefigure. The second image server 407 does not have a printing unitalthough it includes a communication unit 409 similar to thecommunication unit at the first image server 403 and a storage unit 410that manages images in compliance with a universal or common standardwith which the first image server 403 also complies. The third imageserver 408, on the other hand, includes a communication unit 411 similarto that at the first image server 403, while its storage unit 412executes image management in conformance to its own standard and itsprinting unit 413 is capable of providing special services such calendarcreation.

At a hard disk 415 in the storage unit 414 of the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401, an integrated management software program416 is installed. The integrated management software program 416provides a high level of ease of use which allows the user to handleimage data as if they were all stored at the storage unit 414 withouthaving to remember specific image servers to which individual originalimages have been transmitted from the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 401. In addition, a history record software program 417 storesin memory operation history records including information indicatingwhich image servers the individual operations were performed inconjunction with. The functions of these software programs installed inthe hard disk 415 are utilized by a control/processing unit 418.

The telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 may use a pluralityof image servers under the following circumstances. First, if the imageservers each offer a free image save service with a volume limit, theuser of the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 may use theplurality of image servers in combination without exceeding any of thefree storage limits. In addition, even a paying user with sufficientstorage capacity secured, he may still use a plurality of image serversfor diverse services. If the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 401 is shared by family members, a plurality of image serversmay be used by the family members with different personal needs. Thefifth embodiment enables centralized image management with theintegrated management software program 416 even when a plurality ofimage servers are used under such circumstances.

FIG. 24 shows the structure of image data managed with the integratedmanagement software program 416 at the storage unit 414 of thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401, and each set of imagedata includes a “integrated management ID”, “management data”, “storageimage data” and “thumbnail data”. The “integrated management ID”, whichis attached to each set of image data related to thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 to enable a centralizedmanagement, is assigned in the order in which the specific images isstored at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401.

The “management data” include various continents, i.e., an “entry date”,an “originator”, a “server name”, a “server file No.” and a “universalstandard”. For instance, the management data corresponding to theintegrated management ID 1 includes the “entry date” indicating that theimage data were stored on Oct. 16, 2001, and the “originator” field leftblank indicating that the image was not received from the outside forstorage but was originated at the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 401 itself and was then stored. In addition, the “server name”indicates that the corresponding original image is saved at the firstimage server 403. It is to be noted that the first image server 403assigns a “server file No.” to each set of original image data saved incompliance with the universal standard. For instance, “01123401101601”obtained by attaching a code “01” assigned to the first image server tothe beginning of the “file No.” corresponding to the image ID 4 in FIG.11 serves as the “server file No.” corresponding to the integratedmanagement ID 1 in FIG. 24. The code “01” assigned to the first imageserver is registered as universal ID information which as shared in theentire system, and the code is valid over the entire system as long asthe universal standard is upheld.

The meaning of the third and subsequent digits in the “server file No.”,i.e., “123401101601”, has already been explained in reference to thefile numbers in FIG. 11. It is to be noted that as explained earlier inreference to FIG. 11, instead of managing a plurality of types ofinformation under a single “server file No.”, the different types ofinformation may be separately managed. “Yes” entered in the “universalstandard” field indicates that the image data corresponding to the“integrated management ID 1” are managed in compliance with theuniversal standard.

The telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 identifies theoriginal image data in correspondence to the “integrated management ID1”, ascertains its “server file No.” based upon the conversion table inFIG. 24 and then accesses the image server 403, 407, 408 or the like.The image server 403, 407, 408 or the like having been accessed executesprocessing as instructed by the telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 401 on the original image data identified in correspondence tothe “server file No.”.

The “originator” of the image corresponding to the “integratedmanagement ID 4” in FIG. 24 is the second telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 402 and thus the image was received from the outsideand stored. In addition, the “server name” indicates that the image issaved at the first image server 403. The first two digits of the “serverfile No.” i.e., “01”, too, indicate the code assigned to the first imageserver 403, and the subsequent four digits are “1231” indicating theregistration number of the second telephone-integrated image storageapparatus 402. This means that when images are managed among apparatusesin compliance with the universal standard adopted in the system,information indicating the same “originator” and the same “server name”as those separately entered as part of the management data is alsoincluded in the “server file No.” of each image as long as the image hasnot been transferred by a party other than the party that registered theimage.

The management data contain the “originator” and the “server name”separately entered in addition to the “server file No.” so that theimage can be managed smoothly even when it has been transferred and sothat even image servers which do not comply with the universal standardcan be managed with the integrated management software program 416 aspart of this system. For instance, in the case of the imagecorresponding to the “integrated management ID 5” in FIG. 24, theoriginal image data were transmitted from the first telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401 to the third image server 408 which does notcomply with the universal standard and assigns its own “server file No.”to each set of original image data. Even under these circumstances, anintegrated management is enabled by using the “integrated management ID”assigned at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 andadopting the data structure shown in FIG. 24.

The image data corresponding to the “integrated management ID 12” inFIG. 24 were taken in and stored within the first telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401 itself and the corresponding original imageis stored at the second image server 407. Since the second image server407 manages images in compliance with the universal standard, the firsttwo digits in the “server file No.” are “05” which is the code assignedto the second image server 407. The subsequent four digits are “1234”indicating the registration number of the first telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401. In short, the registration number of thefirst telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401, i.e., “1234” isconsistently used regardless of at which image server the image issaved, as long as compliance with the universal standard is maintained.The registration number is registered as common identificationinformation valid in the entire system and can be used by all the imageservers within the system.

While the “server file No.” in FIG. 24 is assigned on the image serverside in the explanation given above, the server file No. may instead beassigned on the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus side.However, the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus will needinformation with regard to the numbering rules to be followed whenassigning the “server file No.” and information with regard to theupdated codes (e.g., “01” assigned to the first image server 403)currently assigned to the individual image servers within the systemmanaged in compliance with the universal standard in such a case. Inaddition, the last two digits in the “server file No.” will indicate theorder in which the image was transmitted from the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401 instead of the order in which the image wasreceived at the image server. Moreover, the following processing needsto be executed for the third image server 408 or the like, which doesnot comply with the universal standard. Namely, the “server file No.”assigned at the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 incompliance with the universal standard as described above needs to beconverted to the file number inherent to the third image server whencommunicating with the third image server 408 by providing a conversiontable in the integrated management software program 416.

FIG. 25 presents a flowchart of print processing executed at thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 by using original imagedata corresponding to a thumbnail image among thumbnail images displayedafter conducting an image search in the fifth embodiment.

After the results of a search executed in order to print an image areobtained and the processing flow starts in step S191, thumbnail imagescorresponding to all the image data hit through the search are displayedin step S192. It is to be noted that all the images assigned withintegrated management IDs are searched during the search operation. Inother words, the search is conducted over a plurality of image servers.In addition, unless specific search conditions are set, original imagedata are searched irrespective of at which image servers they are saved.For this reason, the original image data corresponding to the thumbnailimages displayed in step S191 based upon the search results may be savedat a plurality of image servers.

It is to be noted that if a specific image server at which the desiredoriginal image data are saved is known in advance, the search may beexecuted by incorporating the identity of the image server in the searchkey. In such a case, the original image data corresponding to thethumbnail images displayed in step S191 based upon the search resultsare all saved at the image server satisfying the search conditions.

In step S193, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not apredetermined length of time has elapsed after the thumbnail imagedisplay was brought up on display, and if it is decided that thepredetermined length of time has not elapsed, a verification is executedin step S194 to ascertain whether or not a thumbnail image has beenselected. If a specific thumbnail image has not been selected, theoperation returns to step S193 and subsequently, the processing in stepS193 and the processing in step S194 are repeatedly executed until thepredetermined length of time elapses. It is to be noted that the usercan select a desired thumbnail image regardless of at which image serverthe corresponding original image data are saved.

If it is decided in step S194 that a thumbnail image has been selected,processing is executed in step S195 to identify the image server atwhich the corresponding original image data are saved and theidentification results are saved. In the following step S196, a menu ofprinting functions available in the system is displayed. This print menuincludes all the services provided by all the image serversparticipating in the system, instead of listing only the servicesavailable at the image server identified instep S195. However, anyservice that cannot be offered in conjunction with the original imagedata corresponding to of the thumbnail image, the selection of which hasbeen verified in step S194, is not included in the display. Forinstance, if the resolution of the original image data is low, there isno point in displaying a high resolution print service offered at a highresolution level greatly exceeding the resolution of the original imagedata and, accordingly, the high resolution print service is excludedfrom the menu. In addition, there is no point in displaying a highquality image print service if a high quality image print right has notbeen granted with regard to the image, and accordingly, the high qualityimage print service is excluded from the menu displayed in step S196 atas well.

In step S197, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not apredetermined length of time has elapsed after the menu display wasbrought up, and if it is decided that the predetermined length of timehas not yet elapsed, a verification is executed in step S198 toascertain whether or not a selection has been made in the menu. If it isdecided that a selection has not been made, the operation returns tostep S197, and subsequently, the processing in step S197 and theprocessing in step S198 are repeatedly executed until the predeterminedlength of time elapses. It is to be noted that a desired service can beselected in the menu completely irrespective of at which specific imageserver the service is available. Thus, even a service that cannot beprovided by the image server having saved therein the original imagedata can be considered as an option.

If it is decided in step S198 that a selection has been made in themenu, processing is executed in step S199 to identify an image servercapable of executing the printing operation corresponding to the serviceselected in the menu and the results of the identification are saved. Ifthere are a plurality of image servers capable of executing the serviceselected in the menu, they are ranked in the order of preference. Thisorder is automatically determined based upon user preferences specifiedin advance, by giving top priority to the optimal convenience to beachieved in original image data transfer or the optimal convenience tobe achieved in print delivery, or based upon the availability of theservice at the individual servers.

In step S200, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not allthe image servers identified in step S195 step S199 are in compliancewith the universal standard. If it is decided that they are all incompliance with the universal standard, access coordinate processing isexecuted in step S201. If the original image data are saved at an imageserver other than the image server that is to execute the printingoperation, for instance, one of the image servers is specified as therepresentative server to be accessed through this processing. As aresult, since the involved image servers in compliance with theuniversal standard exchange information needed to execute the printingoperation and the printing operation is executed accordingly, thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 only needs to access asingle image server. If the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus401 appoints in advance an image server to function as a liaison, thisliaison image server is always specified as the server to be accessed inthe access coordinate processing executed in step S201 and the liaisonimage server provides all the directions for the involved image serversto execute the operation as ordered by the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 401. If, on the other hand, a liaison image server isnot appointed in advance, the image server to execute the printingoperation is appointed to function as the access liaison, since it ismore logical to appoint the image server to execute the final processingas the liaison from the viewpoint of fee collection.

In step S202, processing to access the selected accessee and transmit tothe details of the order is started, and then, the operation waits instandby in step S203. It is to be noted that if it is decided in stepS200 that an image server which is not in compliance with the universalstandard is involved, the print execution cannot be directed by fullyengaging the integrated system functions and, accordingly, the operationskips step S201 and executes processing to access all the individualimage servers identified in step S195 and step S199 and transmit thedetails of the order to them. In this case, the overall execution of theimage printing operation is coordinated by the integrated managementsoftware program 416.

It is to be noted that if it is decided in step S193 that thepredetermined length of time has elapsed without a thumbnail imageselection, the operation jumps to step S203 to enter a standby state. Inaddition, if it is decided in step S197 that the predetermined length oftime has elapsed without a selection having been made in the menu, theoperation proceeds to step S204 to cancel the identification processingexecuted in step S195 to identify the image server having the imagesaved therein and then the operation jumps to step S203 to enter astandby state.

FIG. 26 presents a flowchart of the operation executed at the firstimage server 403 or the second image server 403 in compliance with theuniversal standard in the fifth embodiment. After the operational flowstarts in step S211 as the image server receives a print order from thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus, a verification is executedin step S212 to ascertain whether or not the order is an achievableorder. The verification as to whether or not the order is “achievable”is executed to ascertain whether or not the order has been placed by aparty having the print right granted with regard to the specific image,whether or not the order has been placed to print an image that can beprinted without violating the copyright or the like. In addition, theorder is a double checked to ensure that an inappropriate printingoperation has not been ordered, e.g., a high resolution print orderplaced for original image data with low resolution.

If it is decided that the order is an achievable order, a verificationis executed in the following step S213 to ascertain whether or not theorder has been placed to a liaison. When an order is “placed to aliaison”, the image server receiving the order has been appointed tofunction as a liaison with regard to the particular order. If the orderhas been placed to the liaison, the operation proceeds to step S214 toexecute a verification as to whether not the order can be filled at theimage server having received the order. This verification needs to beexecuted, since there is a possibility that in the case of an orderreceived at the liaison, the order may not be achievable at the liaisonserver. If it is decided that the order can be filled at the liaisonserver, the operation proceeds to step S215 to execute a verification toascertain whether or not the original image data to be printed are savedat the liaison image server itself.

If it is decided in step S215 that the original image data to be printedare not saved at the image server having received the order, theoperation proceeds to step S216 to execute transfer request processingto request a data transistor from another image server at which theoriginal image data to be printed are saved. Then, once the originalimage data are obtained, print execution processing is executed in stepS217 and then the operation enters a standby state in step S218. If, onthe other hand, it is decided in step S215 that the original image datato be printed are saved image server having received the order, theoperation immediately proceeds to step S217 to start the print executionprocessing on the original image data held at the image server havingreceived the order.

If it is decided in step S212 that the order is not an achievable order,processing is executed in step S219 to issue an “unfit” notice. Thereare two types of “unfit” notice processing. One of them is processingthrough which a notice indicating that order cannot be filled is issuedto the party having placed the order. The other type of “unfit” noticeprocessing is executed to report an illegal act such as a copyrightviolation to a third party such as a regulating authority or the like.After the “unfit” notice processing is completed, no further action istaken with regard to the particular order and, and instead, theoperation jumps to step S218 to wait in standby.

In addition, if it is decided in step S213 that the order has not beenplaced to the liaison, it means that the order has been placed to animage server capable of executing the printing operation. Accordingly,the operation immediately proceeds to step S215 since an order is neverplaced to an image server not capable of filling the order unless theimage server has been appointed to function simply as a liaison.

In the case of an order transmitted to the liaison, if it is decided instep S214 that the order cannot be filled at the image server havingreceived the order, processing is executed in step S220 to entrustanother image server within the system that is capable of filling theorder to execute the printing operation. In addition, a verification isexecuted in step S221 to ascertain whether or not the image server toexecute the printing operation has saved therein the original image datato be printed. If it is decided that the original image data are notsaved at the image server assigned to execute the printing operation, averification is executed in step S222 to ascertain whether or not theoriginal image data are saved at the image server having received theorder. If the data are saved at the image server having received theorder, processing is executed in step S223 to transfer the originalimage data to the image server assigned to execute the printingoperation. If, on the other hand, the original image data to be printedare not saved at the image server having received the order, and theoperation shifts to step S224 to execute transfer request processing torequest a transfer of the original image data to be printed from anotherimage server having the original image data saved therein to the imageserver assigned to execute the printing operation. If it is decided instep S221 that the image server assigned to execute the printingoperation has saved therein the original image data to be printed, nofurther coordination is necessary and, accordingly, the operation jumpsdirectly to step S218. If the image server acting as liaison cannot filla print order it has received, the image server fulfills itsresponsibility as the liaison by directing another image server withinthe system to fill the order as described above.

FIG. 27 presents a detailed flowchart of the access/transmissionprocessing executed in step S202 in FIG. 25, which is also effectivewhen processing an order to have a plurality of images printed. As theoperation proceeds to step S202 in FIG. 25, the flow shown in FIG. 27starts in step S231, and then the accessee is cumulatively stored intomemory in step S232. The meaning of the term “cumulative” storage is tobe explained later. Next, in step S233, the details of the menuselection made in step S198 are cumulatively stored in memory. Thedetails of the menu selection stored at this time include instructionswith regard to the image quality, the paper size, the number of copiesto be made, the color tone adjustment and the like.

In step S234, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not aninstruction indicating that all the thumbnail images corresponding toimages to be printed have been selected has been issued. If it isdecided that all the thumbnail images have been selected, theaccumulated storage contents are organized in step S235 and then batchtransmission processing is executed in step S236 before ending theaccess/transmission processing in step S237. The meanings of the terms“organize the cumulative storage contents” and “batch transmission” arealso to be explained later.

If it is decided in step S234 that an instruction indicating that thethumbnail selection has been completed has not been issued, there isstill a thumbnail image to be selected for the printing operation.Accordingly, an instruction is issued in step S238 to restart the printprocessing. In response, the print processing in FIG. 25 restarts instep S191. In step S192, thumbnail images are displayed again based uponthe results of the search. The display is similar to the displayinitially brought up in step S192.

As described above, until it is determined in step S234 in FIG. 27 thatan instruction indicating a thumbnail selection completion has beenissued, the processing in step S191 through step S202 in FIG. 25 isrepeatedly executed and a thumbnail image is selected each time stepS194 is executed. Each time the processing is executed, the accessee andthe details of instructions to be transmitted to the accessee arecumulatively stored into memory respectively in step S232 and in stepS233 in correspondence to the new image selected in step S194.

In step S235, the data “cumulatively” stored as described above areorganized to group together images to be handled at the individualrecipients and group together identical instructions to be transmitted.In addition, in step S236, the plurality of images are transmitted in abatch transmission to various accessees. Thus, in response to a singleoperation performed to indicate that the thumbnail selection has beencompleted, the processing from step S234 to step S236 is executed totransmit the instructions in a batch without requiring the user toperform individual transmission operations to transmit the instructionsto different accessees.

It is to be noted that the display brought up at the large screendisplay unit 3 in steps S195 through S202 while repeatedly executingsteps S191 through S202 in FIG. 25 may adopt either of the following twomodes. In one mode, the image corresponding to the thumbnail imageselected in step S194 is displayed in an enlargement over the entirelarge screen display unit 3 and a superimposed display of the menu isbrought up in step S196. In the second display mode, after a specificthumbnail image is selected in step S194, the display of the thumbnailimages remains on the screen but the selected thumbnail image isdisplayed in a manner distinguishable from the rest of the thumbnailimages. Then, in step S196, the menu is displayed under the selectedthumbnail image. In the second display mode, as the processing in stepS191 through step S202 is repeatedly executed, individual images havingbeen selected and the results of the corresponding menu selections canbe checked at-a-glance at all times. In addition, the user may also willbe allowed to correct his selection by checking the display adoptingthis display mode.

FIG. 28 presents a flowchart of instruction dispatch processing which ispart of the batch transmission processing executed in step S236 in FIG.27. An image server which complies with the universal standard followsvarious instructions based upon standardized signals and rules and thuscan perform an operation as instructed in direct response to a signaloutput by the telephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401. However,an image server with its own inherent standard may conform to differentsignal/instruction rules and, in such a case, it cannot respond to auniversal standard compliant signal. Through the processing shown FIG.28, an instruction can be carried out smoothly even at an image serverthat manages images in conformance to its own standard.

At an initial stage of the batch transmission processing, the flow ofthe instruction dispatch processing shown in FIG. 28 is executed foreach of the target images. Accordingly, as long as there is any imagethat has not undergone the instruction dispatch processing, theprocessing in step S24 through step S250 is repeated and once theinstruction dispatch processing for all the batch transmission targetimages is completed, the operation proceeds to the next step in thebatch transmission processing.

After the flow of the processing on a given image starts in step S241,the instruction target image data are verified in step S242 and then,the instruction contents corresponding to the image data are verified instep S243. Based upon the results of the verifications, the imageservers that are involved in the execution of the instructions for theimage are identified and the order in which the image servers are to bechecked is determined in step S244.

In step S245, a verification is executed to ascertain whether or not thefirst image server is in compliance with the universal standard. If itis decided that the image server is not in compliance with the universalstandard, the operation proceeds to step S246 to prepare a signalconversion table for the server. Then, in step S247, the instructionsignal which is in compliance with the universal standard is convertedto an instruction signal inherent to the server. As a result, eventhough the operation is initially executed with the universal standardinstruction signal, an instruction signal inherent to the image serveris transmitted to the image server. If signals in the signal conversiontable prepared in step S246 are changed due to an upgrade at the imageserver side, the latest version of the signal conversion table can bedownloaded by contacting the maintenance service center for thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 on the Internet or thelike.

In step S248, a decision is made as to whether or not all the relevantservers have been checked and if it is decided that there is no moreimage server to be checked, the operation proceeds to step S249 todispatch the instruction for the related server with the instructionsignal and the instruction dispatch processing for the image ends instep S250.

If, on the hand, it is decided in step S245 that the image server beingchecked is in compliance with the universal standard, the signal doesnot need to be converted and thus, the operation jumps to step S248. Inaddition, if it is decided in step S248 that there is another imageserver to be checked, the operation returns to step S245 andsubsequently, the processing in step S245 through step S248 isrepeatedly executed until all the image servers are checked.

While a detailed explanation is given above in reference to FIGS. 25through 28 on an example in which images are printed in the systemachieved in the fifth embodiment, the advantages of the fifth embodimentcan be realized in conjunction with various other services that may beprovided by a plurality of image servers as well as in the printservice. The benefits of the universal standard adopted to enable aplurality of image servers to work in conjunction and the managementachieved with the integrated management software program 416 includingservices that do not comply with the universal standard remain validwhen providing services other than the print service.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG. 29 shows the layouts of display screens brought up at the largescreen display unit 3 of the image storage apparatus achieved in thesixth embodiment of the present invention. Since the sixth embodiment isbasically similar to the fifth embodiment and the overall systemconfiguration is similar to that shown FIG. 23, the illustration of thesystem achieved in the sixth embodiment is omitted and an explanation isgiven in reference to FIG. 23. While the telephone-integrated imagestorage apparatus 401 in the sixth embodiment, too, transmits images toa plurality of image servers 403, 407, 408 and the like, the functionsof the integrated management software program 416 in the sixthembodiment differ from those in the fifth embodiment. Namely, since thescreens laid out by the integrated management software program 416 aredisplayed at the large screen display unit 3 and operations areperformed in conformance to the management method in compliance with theuniversal standard, screens with layouts inherent to the individualimage servers are never brought up on display in the fifth embodiment.In contrast, screen configurations and management methods inherent tothe individual image servers are retained in the sixth embodiment. FIG.29 is provided to illustrate this point.

FIG. 29(A) shows the layout of the screen initially brought up ondisplay when the image management function of the telephone-integratedimage storage apparatus 401 is engaged, which includes icons 501, 502,503 and 504 corresponding to a plurality of image servers. The designsof the icons vary among the individual image servers. If the user wishesto access the first image server, the user operates the correspondingicon 501 to open a special operation screen of the first image serverand the subsequent operation can be performed by following instructionsprovided on the screen. The layout of the operation screen opened asdescribed above and instructions provided on the screen also vary fromone image servers to another.

It is to be noted that only the icons of image servers having savedtherein original image data that can be accessed by thetelephone-integrated image storage apparatus 401 are displayed, at thelarge screen display unit 3. Accordingly, the icon of an image server atwhich accessible image information has been saved for the first time isautomatically added to the display at the large screen display unit 3.For instance, when an image has been transmitted with a save request toa given image server or when access-right inclusive storage image datahave been received for the first time from a third party, the icondisplay corresponding to the image server is automatically added. If, onthe other hand, accessible image information at an image server isdepleted through an image delete operation or the like, the display ofthe icon is automatically deleted from the screen at the large screendisplay unit 3. Thus, with the at-a-glance display of the accessibleimage servers at the large screen display unit 3, a reliable andefficient image management is enabled while respecting the screenlayouts and management methods inherent to the individual image servers.In other words, any image data transmitted to an external image serverwith a save request are guaranteed to be present at one of the imageservers included in the at-a-glance display at the large screen displayunit. In addition, since no irrelevant image server is displayed in thescreen by mistake, no redundant operation needs to be performed.

It is to be noted that instead of displaying/clearing image icons asdescribed above, the following mode may be adopted. Namely, all theimage servers that can be used are first displayed at the large screendisplay unit, and display control is then implemented to differentiatethe display mode adopted for image servers having accessible imageinformation saved therein by using a different display color or the likefrom the display mode adopted for the rest of the image servers. In thiscase, it is possible to identify the relevant image servers with ease,and when transmitting an image to an image server for the first time,the transmission operation can be initiated from the same screen withouthaving to switch to another screen. In this mode, too, if accessibleimage information has been saved at an image server for the first timeor if an image server has run out of accessible image information, thedisplay mode adopted for the image server should be automaticallyaltered.

In another mode of implementation, when the available image servers areall first brought up on display at the large screen display unit,operations may be enabled in the display screen through a graphical userinterface (GUI) and in such a case, instructions may be allowed to bedirected only to the icons of image servers having saved thereinaccessible image information. The ease of operation can be improved in asimilar manner by altering the functions instead of altering the icondisplay, as described above. In this embodiment, too, instructions forthe icon of an image server at which accessible image information hasbeen saved for the first time should be enabled automatically andinstructions for the icon of an image server having run out ofaccessible image information should be automatically disabled.

In the sixth embodiment described above, a detection should be executedto ascertain that accessible image information has been saved for thefirst time at a given image server or that a given image server has runout of accessible image information based upon the history records ofimage transmission/reception operations and delete operations stored inthe history record software program 417.

While the display mode shown in FIG. 29(B) is basically similar to thatshown in FIG. 29(A), the designs of icons 505, 506, 507 and 508 arestandardized by converting the instruction signals and the layouts ofthe operation screens to be opened from the icons and the instructionsprovided in the screens are also standardized so as to eliminate theneed to conform to the individual instruction methods which vary amongimage servers.

The functions achieved in the various embodiments may be realized in anapplication program installed in a computer, and in such a case, thecomputer in which the application program is installed and peripheraldevices connected to the computer as necessary constitute any one of theapparatuses described above. Accordingly, the application programitself, which is distributed on the Internet or the like in order toachieve the functions of the present invention or a recording mediumsuch as a CD ROM having recorded therein the application program, too,are within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 30 shows how the application program may be provided in a recordingmedium such as a CD ROM or through a data signal on the Internet or thelike. A personal computer 600 receives the application program via aCD-ROM 604. The personal computer 600 has a function which enables aconnection with a communication line 601. A computer 602 is a servercomputer that provides the application program stored in a recordingmedium such as a hard disk 603. The communication line 601 is acommunication line for Internet communication or personal computercommunication or it may be a dedicated communication line. The computer602 reads out the application program from the hard disk 603 andtransmits the application program to the personal computer 600 via thecommunication line 601. Namely, the application program is embodied as adata signal on a carrier wave to be transmitted via the communicationline 601. In short, the application program can be provided as acomputer-readable computer program product adopting any of various modesincluding a recording medium and a carrier wave.

While image data and the like are exchanged through a telephoneconnection in the embodiments described above, the image data and thelike may be exchanged by adopting another communication method. Forinstance, data may be transmitted via the Internet. In other words, dataexchange through electronic mail is not limited to the third embodiment.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withrespect to preferred embodiments thereof by referring to the attacheddrawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples and itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes inform and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit,scope and teaching of the invention.

1. An image storage system comprising: an image storage apparatus; and a supporting apparatus, wherein: the image storage apparatus comprises an input unit to which image information is input, a first communication unit, a management unit that executes management so that the input image information is transmitted from the first communication unit in automatic response to an input of the image information to the input unit, an information holding unit that holds the input image information until a transmission thereof is completed and then automatically discards the input image information after the transmission is completed in response to the management unit, an information storage unit at which related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted is stored even after the transmission is completed, and an instruction unit that issues an instruction via the first communication unit with regard to processing to be executed on the image information based upon the related information stored at the information storage unit; and the supporting apparatus comprises a second communication unit, an image storage unit at which the image information from the first communication unit having been received at the second communication unit is stored, and a processing unit that executes processing on images stored at the image storage unit based upon the instruction received at the second communication unit from the first communication unit.
 2. An image storage system according to claim 1, wherein: the image storage apparatus further comprises an information creation unit that creates the related information based upon the image information input to the input unit.
 3. An image storage system according to claim 1, wherein: the supporting apparatus further comprises an information creation unit that creates the related information based upon the image information received at the second communication unit; and the first communication unit receives the related information from the second communication unit.
 4. An image storage system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein: the information creation unit creates image information with a smaller information volume based upon the image information.
 5. An image storage system according to claim 1, wherein: the image storage apparatus further comprises an input instruction unit that issues an instruction for an individual input of the image information and a transmission instruction unit that issues an instruction for an image transmission; and the management unit manages individual sets of image information so that if an instruction is issued by the input instruction unit, the input image information is transmitted without any instruction from the transmission instruction unit.
 6. An image storage system according to claim 5, wherein: the management unit selects a first transmission mode in which a transmission of each set of image information is started in response to the input instruction unit or a second transmission mode in which a plurality of sets of image information are transmitted in a batch.
 7. An image storage system according to claim 6, wherein: the management unit implements management so as to execute a transmission in the first transmission mode when the first communication unit is currently connected with the second communication unit and to execute a transmission in the second transmission mode when the first communication unit is not currently connected with the second communication unit.
 8. An image storage system according to claim 6, wherein: the management unit implements management so as to execute a transmission in the first transmission mode when a communication fee is billed to the first communication unit based upon a data volume of image information and to execute a transmission in the second transmission mode when the communication fee is billed to the first communication unit based upon a length of communication time.
 9. An image storage system according to claim 1, wherein: the management unit implements management so that as image information held at the information holding unit comes to satisfy a predetermined condition, the image information is transmitted from the first communication unit in response.
 10. An image storage system according to claim 9, wherein: the management unit implements management so that when a predetermined length of time elapses following a previous transmission of image information, the image information held at the information holding unit is transmitted to an outside recipient from the communication unit even if the image information does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
 11. An image storage system according to claim 9, wherein: the management unit implements management so that the information held at the information holding unit is transmitted to an outside recipient from the communication unit at a predetermined time point even if the image information does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
 12. An image storage system according to any of claims 9 through 11, wherein: the predetermined condition stipulates that a number of sets of image information held at the information holding unit has reached a predetermined value.
 13. An image storage system according to any of claims 9 through 11, wherein: the predetermined condition stipulates that a total data volume of image information held at the information holding unit has reached a predetermined quantity.
 14. An image storage apparatus comprising: an input unit to which image information is input; a communication unit; a management unit that executes management so that the input image information is transmitted from the communication unit to an outside recipient in automatic response to an input of the image information to the input unit; an information holding unit that holds the input image information until a transmission thereof is completed and then automatically discards the input image information after the transmission is completed in response to the management unit; an information storage unit at which related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted is stored even after the transmission is completed; and an instruction unit that issues an instruction for the outside recipient via the communication unit with regard to processing to be executed on the image information based upon the related information stored at the information storage unit.
 15. An image storage apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: an information creation unit that creates the related information based upon the image information input to the input unit.
 16. An image storage apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: the information creation unit creates image information with a smaller information volume based upon the input image information.
 17. An image storage apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: the communication unit receives the related information from the outside recipient.
 18. An image storage apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: the related information received at the communication unit is image information with a smaller information volume created at the recipient based upon the image information having been transmitted thereto.
 19. An image storage apparatus, comprising: an input unit to which image information is input; a communication unit; a management unit that implements management so as to transmit the input image information provided from the input unit to an outside recipient via the communication unit; and a storage unit at which image information with a smaller information volume created based upon the input image information after the image information is input is stored.
 20. An image storage apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: an instruction unit that issues an instruction via the communication unit for the outside recipient to process the image information based upon the image information with the smaller information volume stored at the storage unit.
 21. An image storage apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising: an information creation unit that creates the image information with the smaller information volume based upon the input image information.
 22. An image storage apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, wherein: the communication unit receives the image information with the smaller information volume from the outside recipient to which the input image information has been transmitted.
 23. An image storage apparatus comprising: an input unit to which image information is input; an input instruction unit that issues an instruction for the image information to be input individually; a transmission instruction unit that issues an instruction to transmit an image; a communication unit; and a management unit that implements management for individual sets of image information so as to transmit the input image information to an outside recipient from the communication unit without an instruction from the transmission instruction unit if an instruction has been issued by the input instruction unit.
 24. An image storage apparatus according to claim 23, wherein: the management unit selects a first transmission mode in which a transmission of each set of image information is started in response to the input instruction unit or a second transmission mode in which a plurality of sets of image information are transmitted in a batch.
 25. An image storage apparatus according to claim 24, wherein: the management unit implements management so as to execute a transmission in the first transmission mode when the communication unit is currently connected with the outside recipient and to execute a transmission in the second transmission mode when the communication unit is not currently connected with the outside recipient.
 26. An image storage apparatus according to claim 24, wherein: the management unit implements management so as to execute a transmission in the first transmission mode when a communication fee is billed to the communication unit based upon a data volume of image information and to execute a transmission in the second transmission mode when the communication fee is billed to the first communication unit based upon a length of communication time.
 27. An image storage apparatus comprising: an input unit to which image information is input; a communication unit; an information holding unit that holds the image information input to the input unit; and a management unit that implements management so as to transmit the image information held at the information holding unit to an outside recipient from the communication unit when the image information has come to satisfy a predetermined condition.
 28. An image storage apparatus according to claim 27, wherein: the management unit implements management so that when a predetermined length of time elapses following a previous transmission of image information, the image information held at the information holding unit is transmitted to the outside recipient from the communication unit even if the image information does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
 29. An image storage apparatus according to claim 27, wherein: the management unit implements management so that the image information held at the information holding unit is transmitted to the outside recipient from the communication unit at a predetermined time point even if the image information does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
 30. An image storage apparatus according to any of claims 27 through 29, wherein: the predetermined condition stipulates that a number of sets of image information held at the information holding unit has reached a predetermined value.
 31. An image storage apparatus according to any of claims 27 through 29, wherein: the predetermined condition stipulates that a total data volume of image information held at the information holding unit has reached a predetermined quantity.
 32. An image storage supporting apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received at the communication unit is stored; and an information creation unit that creates related information based upon the image information received at the communication unit, wherein: the related information is transmitted from the communication unit to an originator of the image information.
 33. An image storage supporting apparatus according to claim 32, wherein: the information creation unit creates image information with a smaller information volume based upon the image information.
 34. An image storage supporting apparatus according to claim 32 or claim 33, further comprising: a processing unit that processes images stored at the image storage unit as instructed in instructions received at the communication unit.
 35. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits image information via the communication unit to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the transmitted image information; an operation unit that issues an instruction with regard to the related information regardless of which outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted; and an instruction unit that transmits via the communication unit the instruction issued through the operation unit to a relevant outside recipient in response to an operation at the operation unit.
 36. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, wherein: the instruction is a request for a printing operation to be executed based upon image information corresponding to the related information.
 37. An image management apparatus according to claim 36, wherein: the instruction unit issues an instruction for the outside recipient at which the image information corresponding to the related information is saved to output the image information to be printed.
 38. An image management apparatus according to claim 36 or claim 37, wherein: the instruction unit issues an instruction for an outside recipient capable of executing the printing operation as instructed to execute the printing operation based upon the image information.
 39. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, wherein: when there are a plurality of outside recipients involved in execution of an instruction, the instruction unit transmits the instruction to a single representative outside recipient.
 40. An image management apparatus according to claim 39, wherein: if the outside recipient having saved therein the image information for which the instruction is intended does not match an outside recipient capable of executing the instruction, the instruction unit transmits the instruction to the outside recipient capable of executing the instruction by appointing the outside recipient capable of executing the instruction as a representative.
 41. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, wherein: the instruction unit transmits the instruction to a single outside recipient appointed in advance to function as a liaison.
 42. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, wherein: the instruction unit transmits the instruction to a plurality of outside recipients relevant to the instruction.
 43. An image management apparatus according to claim 42, wherein: the instruction unit is allowed to select either to transmit the instruction to a plurality of outside recipients relevant to the instruction or to transmit the instruction to a single representative outside recipient.
 44. An image management apparatus according to claim 43, wherein: when the plurality of outside recipients are in compliance with a universal standard, the instruction unit transmits the instruction to a single representative outside recipient among the plurality of outside recipients.
 45. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard to be used to identify images.
 46. An image management apparatus according to claim 35 or 45, wherein: the related information includes identification information in compliance with a universal standard to be used to identify the image management apparatus.
 47. An image management apparatus according to any of claims 35, 45 and 46, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard to be used to identify an outside recipient.
 48. An image management apparatus according to any of claims 45 through 47, further comprising: an assigning unit that assigns the identification information.
 49. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising: a display unit at which the related information is displayed irrespective of the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 50. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising: a display unit at which instructions that can be executed are displayed irrespective of the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 51. An image management apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising: a search unit that conducts a search of the related information irrespective of the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 52. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; a selection unit that selects the related information in order to issue an instruction for image information; and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction for the image information corresponding to the related information selected at the selection unit to the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 53. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; a selection unit that selects the related information in order to issue an instruction for image information; and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction for the image information to a single pre-appointed outside recipient among the plurality of outside recipients in conformance to a selection made at the selection unit.
 54. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; and an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard with which the plurality of outside recipients are in compliance to be used to identify an image.
 55. An image management apparatus according to claim 54, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard to be used to identify the image management apparatus.
 56. An image management apparatus according to claim 54 or claim 55, wherein; the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard to be used to identify the outside recipient.
 57. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; and a display unit at which the related information is displayed irrespective of the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 58. An image management apparatus according to claim 57, wherein: the related information displayed at the display unit is display image information corresponding to the image information.
 59. An image management apparatus according to claim 57 or claim 58, wherein: a plurality of sets of related information corresponding to a plurality of sets of image information having been transmitted to a plurality of outside recipients are displayed at the display unit to enable a selection.
 60. An image management apparatus according to claim 59, further comprising: an identification unit that identifies an outside recipient based upon the related information which has been selected; and an instruction unit that transmits via the communication unit an instruction issued irrespective of the outside recipients to the outside recipient identified by the identification unit.
 61. An image management apparatus according to claim 60, wherein: the identification unit identifies a plurality of outside recipients based upon a plurality of sets of selected related information; and based upon the instruction, the instruction unit transmits an instruction from the operation unit to the plurality of outside recipients in a batch.
 62. An image management apparatus according to claim 57, further comprising: a search unit that conducts a search of the related information wherein: the search unit conducts a search of the related information without excluding any outside recipients; and results of the search are displayed at the display unit.
 63. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; and a display unit at which a plurality of sets of related information corresponding to a plurality of sets of image information having been transmitted to various outside recipients are displayed to enable a selection.
 64. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores display image information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; a display unit at which the display image information is displayed to enable a selection; a selection unit that selects the display image information to issue an instruction for the image information; and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction via the communication unit to an outside recipient identified based upon the display image information selected at the selection unit.
 65. An image management apparatus according to claim 64, further comprising: an operation unit that is operated without excluding any outside recipients, wherein: the instruction unit identifies a plurality of outside recipients based upon a plurality of sets of related information selected at the selection unit and transmits the instruction to the plurality of outside recipients in a batch in response to an operation at the operation unit.
 66. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores display image information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; a display unit at which the display image information is displayed to enable a selection; a selection unit that selects the display image information to issue an instruction for the image information; and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction via the communication unit to an outside recipient to which the image information corresponding to the display image information selected at the selection unit has been transmitted.
 67. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an operation unit; an instruction unit that issues a request for a service with regard to a stored image to one of a plurality of external service providers via the communication unit in response to an operation at the operation unit; and a display unit at which services that can be provided in response to instructions issued through the operation unit are displayed regardless of which outside service providers provide the services.
 68. An image management apparatus according to claim 67, wherein: a menu of available services is displayed at the display unit regardless of which outside service providers provide the services.
 69. An image management apparatus according to claim 67 or claim 68, wherein: a plurality of available services are displayed at the display unit to enable a selection through the operation unit regardless of which outside service providers provide the services.
 70. An image management apparatus according to claim 69, further comprising: a decision-making unit that makes a decision to exclude a service, which can not be provided for the service target image, from display at the display unit.
 71. An image management apparatus comprising: an operation unit; an information storage unit that manages image storage; an instruction unit that issues an instruction with regard to an image managed at the information storage unit based upon an operation at the operation unit; and a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the operation unit can issue an instruction for an instruction target image based upon information at the information storage unit.
 72. An image management apparatus according to claim 71, further comprising: a display unit at which instructions that can be issued through the operation unit are displayed, wherein: an instruction judged by the decision-making unit to be impossible to execute is excluded from the display at the display unit.
 73. An image management apparatus according to claim 72, wherein: a plurality of executable instructions are displayed at the display unit to enable a selection through the operation unit; and any instruction judged by the decision-making unit to be impossible to execute is not included in the display.
 74. An image management apparatus comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; and a search unit that conducts a search of the related information irrespective of the outside recipient to which the image information has been transmitted.
 75. An image management apparatus according to claim 74, further comprising: a display unit, at which results of the search conducted by the search unit are displayed irrespective of the outside recipient to which the information has been transmitted.
 76. An image management apparatus according to claim 74, wherein: the search unit conducts a search of a plurality of sets of related information having been transmitted to a plurality of outside recipients.
 77. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; an operation unit that issues an instruction with regard to a plurality of sets of related information corresponding to a plurality of sets of image information having been transmitted to a plurality of outside recipients; and an instruction unit that transmits via the communication unit the instruction from the operation unit to the plurality of outside recipients in response to an operation at the operation unit.
 78. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; a selecting operation unit that selects a plurality of sets of related information corresponding to a plurality of sets of image information having been transmitted to a plurality of outside recipients and issues an instruction with respect to the selected related image information; a transmitting operation unit that issues a transmission instruction without excluding any outside recipients; and an instruction unit that transmits via the communication unit the instruction from the selection operation unit to the plurality of outside recipients in response to an operation at the transmitting operation unit.
 79. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information having been transmitted; an operation unit that issues an instruction with regard to the related information irrespective of the outside recipients to which the image information has been transmitted; a conversion unit that converts the instruction from the operation unit to an instruction inherent to a relevant outside recipient; and an instruction unit that transmits the instruction inherent to the relevant outside recipient via the communication unit in response to an operation at the operation unit.
 80. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to the image information saved at the outside recipient; and a display unit at which information related to outside recipients having saved therein accessible image information is displayed based upon the related information.
 81. An image management apparatus according to claim 80, further comprising: a display control unit that automatically adds a new outside recipient at which first accessible image information has been saved to display at the display unit.
 82. An image management apparatus according to claim 80 or claim 81, further comprising: a display control unit that automatically deletes an outside recipient having run out of accessible image information from display at the display unit.
 83. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to image information saved at outside recipients; a display unit at which information related to a plurality of outside recipients is displayed based upon the related information; and a display control unit that controls the display unit so as to display an outside recipient having saved therein accessible image information in a display mode different from a display mode for other outside recipients.
 84. An image management apparatus according to claim 83, wherein: the display control unit displays an outside recipient at which first accessible image information has been saved in a display mode different from a display mode used for the outside recipient previously.
 85. An image management apparatus according to claim 83 or claim 84, wherein: the display control unit displays an outside recipient having run out of accessible image information in a display mode different from a display mode used for the outside recipient previously.
 86. An image management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an information storage unit that transmits via the communication unit image information to one of a plurality of outside recipients to be saved therein and stores related information corresponding to image information saved at outside recipients; an operation unit that issues instructions for the outside recipients; and an operation control unit that controls the operation unit so as to enable the operation unit to issue an instruction only for outside recipients having saved therein accessible image information.
 87. An image management apparatus according to claim 86, wherein: the operation control unit automatically enables an instruction for an outside recipient at which first accessible image information has been saved.
 88. An image management apparatus according to claim 86 or claim 87, wherein: the operation control unit automatically disables an instruction for an outside recipient having run out of accessible image information.
 89. An image saving apparatuses, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received via the communication unit is stored; and an information storage unit at which related information corresponding to the image information is stored, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with a universal standard with which other image saving apparatuses are in compliance to be used to identify an image.
 90. An image saving apparatus according to claim 89, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with the universal standard to be used to identify an image sender.
 91. An image saving apparatus according to claim 89 or claim 90, wherein: the related information includes identification information assigned in compliance with the universal standard to be used to identify the image saving apparatus.
 92. An image saving apparatus according to any of claims 89 through 91, further comprising: an assigning unit that assigns identification information.
 93. An image saving apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received via the communication unit is stored; an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction with regard to image information via the communication unit; a tie-in coordination unit that issues a request to another image saving apparatus for a transfer of target image information via the communication unit if the target image information for which an instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is intended is not saved at the image storage unit.
 94. An image saving apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received via the communication unit is stored; an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction with regard to image information via the communication unit; a tie-in coordination unit that issues a request for an execution of the instruction to another image saving apparatus via the communication unit if target image information for which the instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is intended is not saved at the image storage unit.
 95. An image saving apparatus according to claim 94, wherein: the tie-in coordination unit issues a request to another image saving apparatus having the target image information saved therein for a transfer of the target image information if the image saving apparatus having requested an execution of the instruction does not have the target image information saved therein.
 96. An image saving apparatuses, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received via the communication unit is stored; an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction with regard to image information via the communication unit; a tie-in coordination unit that issues a request for an execution of the instruction to another image saving apparatus via the communication unit if the execution of the instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is not possible.
 97. An image saving apparatus according to claim 96, wherein: the tie-in coordination unit transfers target image information for which the instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is intended to the other image saving apparatus.
 98. An image saving apparatus according to claim 96 or claim 97, wherein: if the target image information for which the instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is intended is not saved at the image storage unit, the tie-in coordination unit issues a request for a transfer of the target image information from yet another image saving apparatus to the image saving apparatus requested to execute the instruction.
 99. An image saving apparatus, comprising: a communication unit; an image storage unit at which image information received via the communication unit is stored; an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction with regard to image information via the communication unit; and a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the instruction received at the instruction receiving unit is achievable.
 100. An image saving apparatus according to claim 99, wherein: results of the decision are communicated to an originator of the instruction via the communication unit.
 101. An image saving apparatus according to claim 99 or claim 100, wherein: if the instruction is an illegal instruction, results of the decision are reported to a third party via the communication unit.
 102. A computer-readable computer program product, comprising: a program that enables a computer to achieve a function according to any of claims 1 through
 101. 103. A computer program product according to claim 102, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is a recording medium having the program recorded therein.
 104. A computer program product according to claim 102, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is a carrier wave upon which the program is embodied as a data signal. 